A partnership between Family Kitchen, FREAK’N ART and Open Space Event Studios will culminate with a pop-up art show to raise money for local artists and to feed the homeless. Family Kitchen is celebrating its 40th birthday with a renewed energy. The nonprofit provides free, nutritious meals to anyone in need in a safe and caring environment, currently at Trinity Episcopal Church in downtown Bend at Idaho and Wall Street. Last year it served 174,563 meals and currently averages 12,000 meals per month. Family Kitchen is in the process of looking for a larger space.
The pop-up art show at the end of June will feature 18 local artists who created art under the theme “Nourish.” In a news release, Family Kitchen says, “We are flipping the script on traditional charity art auctions. Current tax laws are notoriously unfair to creators, only allowing them to deduct the bare cost of materials, not the actual value of their time or skill. Most nonprofits ask artists to donate 100% of their work anyway. We think what artists create has immense value, and they deserve to be paid for it. For NOURISH, participating artists choose exactly what percentage of their sales goes to Family Kitchen and what stays in their own pockets.”
Anastasia Zielinski, owner of FREAK’N ART, says she insisted on the artist/nonprofit revenue split. “As an artist, I feel strongly that art is work and that artists deserve to be paid for it. Every spring, my inbox fills up with cold asks — organizations and individuals requesting donated work, time, and materials,” she says. “There’s a pervasive notion in our society that making art is fun and therefore artists should be happy to give it away for free. This feels deeply disrespectful.”
The artists will choose what percentage of their final sale is donated to Family Kitchen — 30%, 50%, 75% or 100%. “It’s a win-win. We’re supporting our local creative community and helping nourish our neighbors at the same time.,” Zielinski says. “We’ve been genuinely moved by the generosity of the participating artists.”
Artist Rebecca Reed Sentgeorge, who submitted three acrylics for the event, says the “Nourish” theme spoke to her. “If someone were to ask why I create art, I would say it is for the way the creative process nourishes me and deepens my awareness of the beauty found in ordinary moments — the way a finger of light touches a morning cup of tea, the quiet presence of a bowl set on a table or the humble abundance of gathered pumpkins,” she says.
Another participating artist, Jake Kenobi, says the vulnerability around mental health plays a large role in his work. “The level of connection and emotional nourishment that comes from our relationships when we can be truly vulnerable with each other is something we don’t often experience in modern life.”
Artist Jen Acorn submitted three “crime boards” entitled, “Salt, Sugar, Fat,” which she calls a visual indictment of the ultra-processed food industry. “By utilizing the visual language of a criminal investigation — complete with red yarn, mugshots, evidence bag tags and chalk outlines — the installation shifts the blame of metabolic disease from individual moral failing to systemic corporate predation,” she explains.
The exhibit, at Open Space, will be part of the first Bend Central District Block Party on June 27, which will feature a street full of performing artists, food and vendors. There will also be a ticketed VIP early access event for the pop-up art show the evening of Friday, June 26. Anyone interested in a purchase will have a “buy it now” option for 25% above the retail price at any point during the event.
Family Kitchen Executive Director Olivia Townsend Parker says she’s hoping to raise around $10,000 between ticket sales, public donations and artist donations. Board member Ashley Dowden said she hopes this can become a signature fundraising event for Family Kitchen.
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Family Kitchen is amazing and this idea is amazing! What an inspiring way to ensure that everyone involved benefits from this event. The balance of being able to both give some and take some because we all have needs to fulfill. That in of itself is an art these days. Art, Food, Love, and Compassion. A recipe for success.