Jun 22, 20205 min read

Beyond the Brush: Art With a Purpose

When we think of art, the world is our oyster. Art can be anything—a painting, a dance, an animated film, a sculpture, a photograph. There's great wonder and excitement in viewing and interpreting the talent of artists, whether in trendy Wynwood galleries or world famous museums. Though, what I hope we never lose sight of is the beauty beyond the brush strokes. Art has the power to inspire change in a community. And that is exactly what I, Hannah Kuker, have sought to do with my artistic passion: be a force of change. I'm a soon to be senior in high school, and it's safe to say art has characterized my life since I stepped foot into NSU University School in Kindergarten. But art doesn't just have to be for the few who've cultivated their passion. There's so much opportunity when it comes to creativity.

Especially now, in a time when we are quarantined, art is the perfect activity to resort to—it's individualized (aka naturally socially distanced) and can be engaged in with at-home supplies. I came across a quote when working on an assignment for school that, in the midst of the pandemic, I turn to now quite often...

"Creativity doesn't wait for that perfect moment. It fashions its own perfect moment out of ordinary ones" - Bruce Garrabrandt

We're living in an "imperfect moment" right now. But we still have the power to do great things, to inspire others, and to live life to our fullest potential. Though our new normal has shifted, creativity can never be stolen from us, as it exists in our own imaginations.

Ok, enough sappy stuff. Here's the real deal: now that we're stuck at home, we're bored. Art is an easy way to fix that boredom. Today, though, I'd like to compel you to apply your boredom-driven motivation in ways that are grander than mere scratch paper doodling. I want to show you how, even at home, you can use art to make a difference!

Here's how I'm doing it...

Art From the Heart

In 2014 I founded Art From the Heart, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to bring love and joy to those who need it most through the power of art. We believe that community service should be personalized—we visit hospitals, adoption centers, and senior centers to make arts and crafts and bond with the patients/residents.

Unfortunately, COVID-19 social distancing protocols have put a halt to our visits. Now, Art From the Heart sends cards to both first respondents and cancer patients sending thanks and well wishes. It is also my pleasure to announce that, in the coming school year, Art From the Heart will be sending art kits to hospitalized COVID and cancer patients complete with the materials needed for craft making and personally made Youtube tutorials detailing craft construction instructions.

To learn more about Art From the Heart and how you can get involved, visit https://www.artftheart.com

You can also reach out to hgkuker@gmail.com to learn more about how you can help from your home!

What's beautiful about Art From the Heart is that it allows people, whether they are professional artists or not, to come together and bond with those who could really use the company.

Perspective Magazine

Getting involved doesn't have to mean visiting hospitals across South Florida. Another way to give back can be in your own school! When the 2019-2020 school year came to an abrupt end, I was so sad to see that many musicals, concerts, dance shows, and art festivals were cancelled. So, determined to give the arts students a well-deserved chance to shine, I expanded my publication, Perspective Magazine, to include all arts departments at my school, NSU University School. Using QR code technology, I was even able to feature video-based departments like dance, music, and media productions! Students, parents, and teachers alike reached out not only to me but to the many arts students who had been featured praising them for the work they otherwise wouldn't have seen! It was so heartwarming to watch these students get rightfully recognized.

Check out the publication here: https://indd.adobe.com/view/15df1cba-45f6-4b3d-a913-cbf05146ee3d

Even when not in a pandemic, there are plenty of opportunities to contribute to your school community. If you have a strong design sense, put together a magazine highlighting student work like I did. Or, maybe you're a stellar painter and you'd like to work on a mural or painting for the school hallway. Maybe you offer your artistic services to students' families and collect all profits for charity. The possibilities are endless!

Drawing & Painting With Meaning

Finally, art in its most traditional form can be used as a platform for self expression and change. I spent my entire junior year enrolled in AP Drawing, a course that required me to pick a topic I was passionate about and use my artwork to explore it. I decided to delve into the concept of Disconnected Connectedness. In other words, discussing how increased and obsessive digital connectivity has actually left our generation quite disconnected. For me, this topic is extremely close to heart because I have watched in sorrow as interpersonal interaction has declined—friends sit on their phones at the lunch table, kids watch Netflix rather than listen in class, people fall for the convenience of ignoring, blocking, and unfollowing rather than confront situations head-on. So, I decided to raise awareness of this growing societal tendency in hopes that the powerful rawness of my artwork would spark a change in my peers' mindset. Little did I know that, in a twist of fate, technology would become the medium with which I salvaged my sense of community when quarantined at home. In this moment of irony, I decided not to be close-minded and instead document history rather than pretend to be blind to the benefits of digital communication in the COVID'19 era. This is what's so powerful about art. It's a method through which I was able to express myself, grow, and learn. I was able to experiment as to not remain close minded. I was able to document history. I was able to inspire my peers (after showing and explaining to them the meaning behind my art, some of them became more conscious of their phone overuse). Art is so much more than painting apples in a bowl. It's a form of expression and a force of change. I compel you to try and create work with meaning and purpose. Because who knows, someone might just listen...

To see more of my portfolio, visit https://hannahkuker.wixsite.com/portfolio

Click here to view my nationally recognized, hand-drawn animated short film about global warming! https://youtu.be/ffm9HYsE4cs

If you’ve read this far, I owe you one ;) But in all seriousness, be the change you want to see in the world. Think about how you can use your creativity to better your community and inspire others. Because after all, there is so much more beyond the brushes when art is created to service a greater purpose!