In October 2011, SGIA partnered with Fresh Artists — a nonprofit program that benefits art curriculums and empowers children as philanthropists. Through SGIA’s partnership, graphics producers within the SGIA community have the opportunity to work with the Fresh Artists to produce selected children’s artwork to be installed in the offices of large corporations and community services organizations. While Fresh Artists’ roots are in the Philadelphia area, SGIA has helped to expand the program on a national level, including a recent installation near Denver, Colorado.

New Vista Image (Golden, Colorado) was the first SGIA member to take advantage of this exciting opportunity, after being introduced to the Fresh Artists program at the 2011 SGIA Expo, in New Orleans. 

“We love the purpose of Fresh Artists, encouraging children to be creative with their art, and then learning the act of donating that art,” said Ann Brown, president of New Vista Image. “In turn, a facility gets to purchase the art for display, and the proceeds benefit school art programs that need the help. It is a beautiful full circle of activity and social responsibility.”

Brown met with Barbara Allen, founder and president of Fresh Artists, and her son, Roger, and thus began a month-long process of installing artwork at the home of Sungate Kids, an advocacy center in Denver, Colorado, for children who have been subject to, or witness to, a crime. 

Watch your mailbox for the upcoming July/August issue of the SGIA Journal for more details about New Vista Image’s experience working on the Fresh Artists project. For more information about how to get involved with the program, visit SGIA.org, Keyword: FreshArtists.