:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/Y3PS5GBP6FFD7KMBVCIILPQY64.jpg)
As part of its philanthropy program, “Art of Giving,” the Kishwaukee Valley Art League annually donates new art supplies to several local charity organizations.
This year, KVAL members donated 179 art supply items worth more than $1,000. These items will be distributed to Opportunity House, Safe Passage, Hope Haven, DeKalb County Nursing Home, Barb City Manor and The Growing Place.
Project coordinator Beverly O’Shaughnessy contacted each charity to get a “wish list” of art supplies to ensure that the donations fit their needs. The art supplies included acrylic and watercolor paints, brushes, canvas, easels, pastels, colored pencils, sketchbooks, craft kits and supplies, crayons, markers, coloring books, assorted paper, and art appreciation books.
Representatives from the six organizations came to KVAL’s Gallery on State to pick up their art supplies.
“Without exception, there were multiple expressions of genuine gratitude for our Art of Giving program expressed by those receiving the donations,” O’Shaughnessy said in a news release. “They commented about how much our contributions of art related materials means to them and those they serve, especially in this year of so much need.”
O’ Shaughnessy was pleased with the generosity of KVAL members and the response of the charity organizations.
“I would say it was a beautiful exchange of gratitude,” she said in the release.
The Gallery on State opened Oct. 15 to provide a home for the Kishwaukee Valley Art League where the league’s monthly meetings could be held, art classes could be taught, and members could offer original artwork for sale to the general public. Members are working on “Secret Subject” art challenges, which will soon be displayed in the front window of the gallery.
Applications for the 50th annual Northern Illinois Art Show held on the courthouse lawn in Sycamore scheduled for June 5-6, 2021, are available at www.kval-nfp.org.
KVAL is committed to promoting local artists and dedicated to the development of upcoming artists in the Kishwaukee Valley area. Hy-Vee and Waste Management are patron members of the organization. For information, visit www.kval-nfp.org.