After the coronavirus pandemic began to take its toll across the world, some local artists turned to their canvas to depict various scenes and key figures, with the profits going to good causes.
Sarah Wilson, vice president of the Owensboro Art Guild, began creating works of art relating to COVID-19 after she was laid off a few weeks ago.
“Seeing all the negativity, I decided to create art more on the positive side of things to give people hope and to keep their head and their mind in a clear state right now,” Wilson said.
She’s holding a raffle for an original painting to fundraise for Team Kentucky Fund, which provides assistance to Kentuckians who have been severely financially impacted by the COVID-19 emergency.
Wilson’s black-and-white acrylic painting is an abstract piece that focuses on contrast and finding the positive in the negative. A winner will be announced April 24 and all proceeds will be donated.
“I know it’s a hard time for everybody right now, whether they’ve lost their job or if they’re still working and worried about bringing the virus home,” Wilson said. “Both sides are hard. No matter how much negative is in your life, we always have to balance the negative and positive.”
Owensboro artist Aaron Kizer is also fundraising for Team Kentucky Fund. He’s selling a painting of Gov. Andy Beshear for $7,000, with all proceeds going to the Fund. Prints of the piece are also on sale for $80.
Bobby Edge, another local artist, painted a few iconic figures and people wearing surgical masks — including the Statue of Liberty.
“What inspired (the Statue) is what our country is going through and what the world is going through — especially New York right now,” Edge said. “For them to have to set up makeshift hospitals in Central Park, that just blew my mind.”
He is hoping to work with a local business to make prints of his artwork so he can fundraise.
Edge said he also finds refuge in his work.
“It’s kind of to keep my head straight and to keep things in perspective,” Edge said. “It’s been a hard painting because you want to show the anxiety in the subject.”
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