Help Us Du’Art! – ¡Ayudanos a Du’Art!

  • US$2,118.00
    raised of $10,000.00 goal goal
21% Funded
17 Donors

No more donations are being accepted at this time. Please contact the campaign owner if you would like to discuss further funding opportunities

Show more
Show less

(***para español, ir arriba del video y haga clic en "Switch to Spanish" ***)

Hello, and THANK YOU for taking the time to check out my project! We all know art is at the heart of every culture and community. YOU can be part of bringing inspiration, hope and transformation to countless lives in rural Nicaragua by helping me create the Du’Art studio! If you already know my work, and the extreme need for creative entrepreneurial projects in Nicaragua, feel free to make a donation now! Check out the sidebar on the right if you'd like to receive some of my art in thanks for your support (you can also choose to simply donate without receiving anything in exchange).

What is Du’Art?

For those of you who don’t know, Du’Art is the name of an ongoing dream that's now becoming a reality to create workshop & studio in front of my home in El Rosario, Nicaragua. The plan is to renovate the existing building to create an enclosed, multifunctional space where I can begin producing my paintings as well as an original line of hand-painted clothing.

In a country such as Nicaragua, that has been torn apart by conflict and poverty throughout recent history, creating spaces where ordinary people can have access to the healing and joy that art can offer is absolutely essential. In my community of El Rosario there is currently nothing of the type of project I’m proposing. There is a desperate need for inspiration, for something that will draw people in from other regions and perhaps even from other countries.

My goal in creating Du’Art is to be able to begin supporting myself through my work as an artist while also being of service to my community. The studio will not only be a space for my own creative work but will also provide employment for members of the community, both before and after the space is up and running. Unemployment is a severe issue in Nicaragua and even one member of a family having stable employment can have a huge impact - the ripple effect is not to be underestimated here.

For El Rosario and the surrounding community, Du’Art will mean:

-renewed movement, energy & inspiration in a currently stagnant, disenfranchised community

-more visitors and tourists, which means residual economic benefits for other local commerce.

-ongoing employment opportunities for several local individuals and businesses

-a local example of successful creative entrepreneurship

-more specifically, a model for other women of an independent female entrepreneur in the arts

In terms of employment, I will be hiring local workers to renovate the current space to make it functional as a studio as well as for ongoing maintenance. I’ll also need employees for implementing my clothing designs once I’ve been able to purchase and install the necessary sewing machines, as well as for packing and shipping orders, creating promotional materials and doing online and in-person networking and promotion.

*******

My Story

The Du’Art project is the culmination of several decades of experience, study and practice as a multidisciplinary artist.

My path as a visual artist began in 1995 when I started studying with renowned Nicaraguan painter Leoncio Saenz. My natural abilities and creative developments in color combination inspired him to hire me as a painter for his original drawings in 1998. It’s through this time with Don Leoncio that I began to discover my passion for creation, and painting in particular. Over the past two decades I have been producing both reproductions and original work, including several mural reproductions of art depicting significant moments in Nicaraguan history; original and reproduced illustrations for an entire book on mandalas by Dr. Keith Willcock; as well as a series of original paintings inspired by the Hindu chakra system. This series will be the base for the collection of hand-painted, handmade clothing I also plan to produce in the Du’Art studio.

When I paint I’m completely transported...I become another person. Every different color I’m in contact with resonates with me on different, deep emotional and spiritual levels. It’s as if I were reborn with each painting I create. Through this personal experience I’ve come to understand that art can have a hugely transformative impact on people, both as creators and as viewers.

On the fashion and clothing design side of things, I've been designing and making clothing since I was very young. I’m currently finishing up an intensive course on clothing design with Kora de Sarabia so as to assure the professionalism of my work.

*******

The Details

For those of you interested in the specifics, the estimated costs of getting the studio up and running are as follows:

-Renovating the space (this will consist of building three walls and a roof to enclose the space which will be built as an extension of the house, one window and a door, installing tiles on the floor, the cost of paint for the outside and inside of the studio, hiring workers…) approximately 7500$

-purchasing three sewing machines (one Overlook, one industrial machine and one small regular machine), approximately 600$

-acquiring the serigraphy machine for printing images on fabric 800$

-basic supplies for painting and clothing design to kickstart production, approximately 600$

-administration fees for using the GoGetFunding site (5% of total amount plus transaction fees)

This brings us up to the grand total of 10,000$

******

Finally, a huge THANK YOU for contributing to the transformation we truly need right now in Nicaragua. If you’re unable to contribute financially at this time, please consider sharing the project with your friends and family! Any type of help is much appreciated :)


------------------------------------



Rewards

Du'Art Thank You Postcard!

1 Backers

Du'Art Mandala Painting (8.5 x 11")

0 Backers

Du'Art Mandala Painting (31 x 31")

0 Backers

Fundraising Team

  • Lissette Ivonne Duarte Tellez
  •  
  • Campaign Owner
  • Kyra Willcock
  •  
  • Campaign Assistant

Donors

  • Anonymous
  • Donated on Feb 29, 2020
Amount Hidden
  • Ana Power
  • Donated on Feb 22, 2020
  • Muy buena energia desde NYC!

$30.00
  • Felicia Sandino
  • Donated on Feb 15, 2020
$100.00
Mar 02

Gratitude + Next Steps!

Update posted by Kyra Willcock at 01:28 pm

Many, many thanks to everyone who helped us get this far in making Du'Art possible! After many years of dreaming the ball has finally gotten rolling. Your support has helped inspire me to keep going and make all these great projects happen one way or another....With the amount we were. . . . .

See update
0
Feb 27

Only Two Days Left To Help us D'Art!

Update posted by Kyra Willcock at 08:31 pm

Thank you SO much to everyone who has contributed so far to the campaign! Here's a little photo of one of my recent original creations :). I'm really looking forward to sharing more of my work with you all once we get set up for production after the campaign ends...in. . . . .

See update
0

Donors & Comments

17 donors
  • Anonymous
  • Donated on Feb 29, 2020
Amount Hidden
  • Ana Power
  • Donated on Feb 22, 2020
  • Muy buena energia desde NYC!

$30.00
  • Felicia Sandino
  • Donated on Feb 15, 2020
$100.00
  • GIAN AND GABY
  • Donated on Feb 08, 2020
  • Les deseamos la mejor de las suertes en su nuevo proyecto. Los queremos!

$300.00
  • Anonymous
  • Donated on Feb 06, 2020
$50.00
  • Uva Meiner
  • Donated on Feb 05, 2020
  • Beautiful, make it happen❤️!

$50.00
  • Anonymous
  • Donated on Feb 04, 2020
$100.00
  • Guest
  • Donated on Feb 04, 2020
  • Les deseo mucho ánimo... luz y oraciones desde Canadá!

$18.00
  • Ligia Elizondo
  • Donated on Feb 04, 2020
  • Deseando que el proyecto tenga el impacto que desean en la comunidad y en todos los que participan.

Amount Hidden
  • Michael Tinkler
  • Donated on Feb 04, 2020
  • This sounds like a great project! Best wishes for complete success!

$50.00
Show more donors

Followers

7 followers
Vanessa Tercero
Cristiane Emes
Michael Tinkler
Monique Grenon
Tania Lara
Dinah Mason
Lissette Ivonne Duarte Tellez
US$2,118.00
raised of $10,000.00 goal
21% Funded
17 Donors

No more donations are being accepted at this time. Please contact the campaign owner if you would like to discuss further funding opportunities