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Arts Council's serve many roles and functions in large and small communities across the United States. Here in Estes Park, our mission is to enhance the quality and accessibility of visual and performing arts for people of all ages.
When one of our local artists faces major medical crisis, we also feel duty bound to find a way to help.
William Sitting Bull, Chief Sitting Bull's great-great grandson, an Estes Park artist is very ill and needs our community's support.
Sitting Bull is seriously ill in stage three renal failure from long-term diabetes, and his eyesight has been affected too. Native Americans are insulin resistant, and William is not a good candidate for dialysis. He needs a kidney transplant. He has no health insurance and his prescriptions alone amount to more than $1000 a month. His stay in intensive care while they stabilized his condition in late August has left he and his wife Bonnie Fulford with enormous medical expenses.
Artists' Charitable Fund (ACF) has stepped in to help. We now need to support ACF.
A series of benefit events and art exhibit, Art Aid, are currently underway. Support is growing and donations of cash for Artists' Charitable Fund are coming in.
A recent masquerade party and silent auction raised $1,300 for ACF.
Artists' Charitable Fund, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization was established in 1994 to help artists in crisis, and to date has provided financial assistance to approximately 100 artists throughout Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and South Dakota. However, it is open to helping artists in all 50 states. The fund is kept available to those in need through the generosity of artists who donate artwork for an annual auction held each year during the second Saturday of August (rain or shine) in conjunction with two major sculpture shows in Loveland, Colorado. Today, Loveland sculptor George Lundeen and a board of directors oversee the organization and help artists in need overcome crisis due to medical, fire or other disasters. Colorado Governor Art Show Director Judy Archibald coordinates the program with artists.
The Cultural Arts Council of Estes Park s partnering with ACF to help artists such as William Sitting Bull in their time of need.
Our goal is to raise $5,000 for Artists' Charitable Fund.
The benefit art exhibit and sale, Art Aid, currently in our Fine Art Gallery, runs through November 9. William Sitting Bull has some new original works in the show, and 100% of the sales go to him. Some other art work has been donated by artists, with 100% of the sale benefiting ACF. Other works in the show a portion of the sale will benefit the ACF Fund when sold.
We thank those who have already joined us in our efforts with donations: Dennis Reinke, Robert Wands, Patricia H. Greenberg, Jeff and Donna Sanders, Cynthia Price Reedy, Tess Moore, Dan D'Amico, Janet Graham, Walt Hester, Sandy Coker, Joyce Kitchen, Sharon Pfeiffer, Dawn Normali, Red Rose Rock Shop, Shilohlin, The Big Horn Restaurant, Bill Zelt, Poppy's Pizza & Grill and numerous individual donors.
To learn more about the Artists' Charitable Fund visit:http://www.artistscharitablefund.org
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