Love art. Change the world.
By jamie hewitson
14 July 2008
On April 23, 2008, Jamie Hewitson, of Avon, New Jersey,
launched theartofdana.com, the first of its kind online art and
photography gallery aimed at changing the world. The gallery
is viewed upon as an "ongoing art mission", where 20%
of the profits of every piece benefit specially selected charities.
Miss Hewitson, director of the campaign, offers original works of art
that reflect different aspects of her life. Themes associated with each cause
include her "Be Pure" Gallery, which benefits the Surfrider's Foundation,
and her "Be Love" Gallery, which benefits Youth Aids.
Prices range from 65.00 for prints, to 300.00 and up for original pieces.
"I wanted to create something that signified the fusion of everything I believe in" says Miss Hewitson. She adds, "Not everyone can afford the high prices of art, especially in today's market. And many of these same people want to help change the world, but have no outlet to do so."
While the emotion behind Miss Hewitson's work was always there, it wasn't
always easy for her to find the time to pursue it. After graduating from FIT in 2001, Miss Hewitson worked at Marvel Entertainment, New York. "My career was exactly where I wanted it to be, but a part of me started to feel lost in the exhaustion of the commute and needed to reconnect with my passion on a more organic level."
Leaving New York to pursue a career in her hometown at the Jersey Shore, Miss Hewitson felt the reconnection almost immediately. Her idea for the campaign stems from the word Dana, a Buddhist term meaning "the practice of cultivating generosity."
"I started to get to that existential moment in my life where I thought 'this is the essence of my work and the responsibility of me as an artist and as a human being'. Although, I will never lose the feeling of vulnerability that comes with it. I will never think 'I created this
change'. That comes from how the world responds to this."
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