We’re thrilled to share that our friend, Nick Ramos, is launching a new project titled ‘Build Hope, Not Walls’, which will see 150 artists from across the United States coming together in one exhibit October 13-15 at the Big Medium Gallery in Austin, TX. Each artist is creating a brick/a work of art, which will then be auctioned off, with part of the proceeds benefiting Casa Marianella. We spoke with Nick about this incredible project, to see how he constructed the idea and what he hopes people will take away from it.
Everything started with a doodle of a brick while listening to the news, and coloring in that brick. I thought that I could paint some bricks and raise some money. My artist friend Rebecca Bennet is the one to suggest that I should invite other artists.
For the past few years, I was the curator for the Georgetown Art Center, where I met a lot of artists through the exhibits and art competitions that I organized. I also found some artists through social media.
I started researching organizations that I could partner with, and Casa Marianella came up several times. But while vetting American Gateways for the project, they really spoke highly of Casa Marianella and their work, and that made me want to learn more about the organization.
Over the decades, I have heard so many different stories from people all over the world. I also dated a muslim for several years, who educated me about refugee camps in the Middle East.
A beautiful work of art? Kidding, but not really. The message of the project is probably the most important thing. This project is about the power of love and humanity. The idea that we all have something unique to contribute to society, and that we all have the power to make a difference in the world.
Mark your Calendars for October 13-15, and come out and see the exhibit at the Big Medium Gallery in Austin, TX.
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