Gwynedd StuartIn dark times such as these, I like to refer back to an inspirational meme featuring a (verified) quote from late, great children's entertainer Fred Rogers: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'”
If you agree that the election of a kleptocrat who has proceeded to populate his cabinet with white supremacists qualifies as scary, then chances are you're grateful for the appearance of helpers, whether they're demonstrating in front of L.A. City Hall or quietly trying to preempt the undermining of values many of us hold dear. Here are some local artists who are putting their money where their mouths are and donating a portion of their sales to charity in the wake of Trump's election. Help the helpers, and get some cool art to keep or give away for the holidays in the process.
Credit: Hallie Bateman
Hallie Bateman
Artist Hallie Bateman has confessed to feeling angry and confused since the election, and she's used her art to channel those feelings, including an illustration of the White House topped with a Klan hood and a drawing of herself telling a bird she'll pay it $50 to fly to New York and peck out Donald Trump's eyes. To raise money for Planned Parenthood, she's selling locally produced giclee prints of her drawing Night Drive for $75, all of which goes to the women's health nonprofit.
halliebateman.bigcartel.com/product/night-drive
Credit: Jack Sjogren
Jack Sjogren
L.A.-based illustrator Jack Sjogren posted an image of his Carrier print on Instagram with the following message: “I've been guided, supported and carried by women since I was born. Now is the time for us all to carry each other.” He's donating 75 percent of the proceeds from each poster sale to Planned Parenthood.
jacksjogren.bigcartel.com/product/carrier-print
Credit: Steff Bomb
Steff Bomb
Illustrator and Craft Wars champion Steff Bomb's Etsy store is filled with everything from a meticulously sewn plush chainsaw to a teeny-tiny button of a friendly hand flipping the bird (oh, and buck-toothed carrots). For the foreseeable future, she's donating 20 percent of all of sales to charity: 10 percent to Planned Parenthood, 10 percent to the ACLU. (Full disclosure: Steff is a friend.)
etsy.com/shop/steffbomb
Credit: Hannah Partlow
Hannah Partlow
Before the election, “Nasty Woman” was our battle cry. Now, in what feels sort of like a time of mourning, you might feel more like whispering than screaming. Hannah Partlow's Low-Key Nasty Woman tee, which features the phrase in black on a black T-shirt, is one way to do it. Screenprinted by hand in Echo Park, the shirt costs $25, 25 percent of which goes to Planned Parenthood.
xohannahnance.com/products/preorder-lowkey-nasty-woman-tee
Credit: Dreamland
Ryan James Coyle
Using a combination of black-and-white photographs, illustration and text, Ryan James Coyle, the creative mind behind Dreamland, makes work that perfectly captures our current malaise. He's donating 20 percent of sales to charity: 10 percent to Planned Parenthood, 10 percent to the ACLU.
witchsy.com/dreamland
Credit: Dave Kloc
Dave Kloc
Artist Dave Kloc is probably best known for creating concert-style posters for the legendary, now-defunct comedy showcase The Meltdown With Jonah and Kumail. The poster he created for the very last show last month features a homunculus to represent every single live show and the back lists every person who ever appeared on their stage. He's got lots of older posters for sale on his site, too — and 10 percent of all sales through the end of the year go to the ACLU.
davekloc.bigcartel.com
Credit: Taffy Sinclair Prints
Taffy Sinclair Prints
Taffy Sinclair Prints celebrates rock & roll, girl groups, the '60s and, sort of in general, fun. Its retro-tastic T-shirts and totes, like the one featuring three images of Natalie Wood rendered in 3-D blur, are all hand-printed in L.A. — and now 10 percent of sales are going to the ACLU.
taffysinclair.com/products
Are you an L.A. artist who's donating a portion of sales to charity? Send us an email with details and we'll update this post periodically leading up to the holidays.
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