As the COVID-19 crisis hits the service industry hard, The Red & Black is offering a way for consumers and local artists to support the industry with an online sale of local art work. Donated work will be sold and shipped through The Red & Black’s online sales portal, with 100% of proceeds donated to The Garrie Vereen Memorial Emergency Relief Fund, a local fund that supports workers in the Athens arts, music and service industries, and The Giving Kitchen, a Georgia-based nonprofit that assists restaurant workers with medical emergencies.

“We can do our work remotely, but many in Athens were instantly hurt  by social distancing requirements and the state of emergency here,” said Brandon Dudley, Red & Black creative services manager and class of 2020 student in the Lamar Dodd School of Art at the University of Georgia. “We needed to find a way to give back and connect the creative and service communities.”

To make it easy for local artists to contribute, The Red & Black created a section of its online merchandise store to promote and sell artwork. “We have the infrastructure for secure sales and nationwide shipping in place, so it will make it easy for artists to participate,” said Melissa Mooney, The Red & Black’s operations manager. 

The program is simple: Artists donate works to be sold and set their prices; The Red & Black markets and promotes the pieces and handles shipping and payment processing; 100% of net proceeds (minus packaging and postage) will be split between the two charities.

The sale is kicking off with a series of posters and cards featuring Athens landmarks such as Weaver D’s and Hi-Lo Lounge.  These are works by Athens-based illustrator James Burns, a former professor at Savannah College of Art and Design, who is donating all of his existing inventory to the fundraiser. He also  created a limited-edition art print of his poster of the Georgia Theatre featuring its new COVID-19 marquee sign that reads “We love you Athens. Wash Your Hands. Be Safe.” Giclee printing for art prints is donated by Robert Lowery who owns Athens-based Lowery Gallery and Lowery Imaging.

“I wanted to find a way to give back and follow social distancing policies and this was a way I could support these businesses as they struggle,” said Burns.Any artists who wish to donate works to the fundraiser can contact Brandon Dudley. Prints and posters that are easy to ship are preferred, but any work will be accepted.

 

Find the items at: redandblack.com/store

Or

https://www.redandblack.com/store/#!/Art-for-Athens-Fundraiser/c/47284174/offset=0&sort=normal

 

Contacts:

Artists wishing to donate

Brandon Dudley, Creative Services Manager

bdudley@randb.com | 706-433-3021

 

Media inquiries

Rebecca Burns, Publisher

rburns@randb.com | 404-245-4054 

 

About The Red & Black

Founded in 1893, The Red & Black is a student news organization that covers the University of Georgia and Athens. We are a 510c3 nonprofit with the dual mission of training students for careers in the news media and supplying our audience with an exceptional news source. Independent of the university, we receive no funding from UGA and support ourselves through advertising sales and donations. We publish news daily at redandblack.com and publish a weekly newspaper when UGA classes are in session.

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