Nonprofits For The Arts | Conscious Real Estate

Greetings All! This weekend, Kim Johnson of Faceted Media and I volunteered at the First Friday event with the Art of War Project. While I was there, Erika Righter, owner of Hope Tank (that cool gift boutique on South Broadway, which gives a portion of EVERY item to nonprofits) introduced me to the artists of the VSA Colorado Access Gallery.

The VSA Colorado/Access Gallery is an inclusive nonprofit organization that provides creative and educational opportunities for people with disabilities to access and experience the arts. Each summer VSA Colorado/Access Gallery works with 15 – 20 high school students with disabilities to develop skills and strategies to increase access to economic opportunities. I think these kids are awesome and I think you will think they’re awesome.

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A GREAT way to support these teens is through the “We Make Great Pets Project,” through which you can commission a portrait of your pet! The goal is to develop, implement, and support arts-integrated education and employment programs for teens and young adults with disabilities.

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Commissioning a portrait of your pet is simple. Come to the gallery at 909 Santa Fe, Denver, CO 80204. See examples and pick three artists whose style you like. They will make every effort to have one of your selected artists complete the piece, and for an additional fee, they can guarantee your top choice. In two weeks, your portrait will be complete. It’s fun for you OR it’s the perfect gift for any animal lover.

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It costs $80 for an 11 X 14 portrait of your pet. You provide them with a photo of your pet and a deposit and the artists will begin the portrait. You can commission any animal you choose. The artists are encouraged to use their creative talent, so the painting will be an interpretation of your photograph. (No refunds on commissioned paintings.)

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Find the artist that fits your pet’s flair and email them a photo! For more information, call 303-777-0797 or email [email protected], you can stay updated on their events through Facebook, or if you’re feeling inspired, you can donate. I hope you’re all having a great summer! – Allison

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Conscious Real Estate is proud to announce a partnership with award-winning Denver nonprofit, PlatteForum. PlatteForum is an innovative nonprofit arts, youth-development, and urban artist-in-residence program in Denver that teams underserved youth (K-12) from around the Denver metropolitan area with contemporary master artists in intensive, structured, and long-term creative learning environments.

In 2002, Judy Anderson and Mark Smith (East West Partners) co-founded PlatteForum in Denver, Colorado, to address diminishing access to the arts in public schools and provide a place for artists to have the time and support to create new work. Youth work side by side with resident artists to collaboratively plan, produce, and exhibit a body of work in an environment in which artistic excellence is highly valued. Through the creative process, PlatteForum gives hope and direction to underserved youth who collaborate with master artists from around the world. This experience transforms the lives of the youth, the artists and the community.

PlatteForum welcomes the public to their events, it’s a great place to volunteer, and creative workshops are led by professional artists… with cocktails, or you can make a donation. As always, you can remind your friends and family that when they sell or purchase a home through Conscious Real Estate, 10% of our agent’s commission can go to PlatteForum to help underserved youth and lend to the vibrancy of our community.