Art With a Purpose

In the wake of some of the more conservation-based holidays we’ve been celebrating recently, we wanted to take a moment to not only highlight some incredible artists of ours, but to highlight their sincere efforts to make this world we all inhabit a better place. Our artists aren’t the only ones who work hard to be charitable with their profits, though - we here at Fascination St. Fine Art and Frame have a history of helping out charitable causes as well! Art truly does make the world go ‘round, so stick around to find out more. All of the charities listed here have been linked within this blog post, so don’t be shy clicking around if you want to donate to any of the great charities we are mentioning today. 

To start our artist highlight reel, we have the self-proclaimed “Rockstar of the Art World” - Michael Godard. Although his work tends to be a more satirical view of life, his inspiration is sourced in a more melancholy place. In 2006, his daughter lost her hard-fought battle with brain cancer, thus leaving Godard inspired to raise funds for a cure. To quote Michael Godard’s own website, “The funds I help raise save lives, and at the end of the day, it’s the most important thing I do. All the money in the world can not bring her back, but the funds I help raise for a cure will help save another child.” To stay true to this declaration, you can see that Godard works closely with reputable foundations such as St. Jude’s, The Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Foundation, Make a Wish, and the Nevada Cancer Institute. In his newest piece (pictured in our blog banner to the right) aptly named “Angel Kiss” you can see a portrait of his late daughter. Godard stated that he wanted to “convey her innocence, sweetness, and beautiful spirit,” with this piece, and to continue to touch people for generations to come. 

Next on the artist list - our in-house wildlife conservation “nerd”, Daniel Ryan. He is widely known for his beautiful mixed media pieces on reclaimed wood. (You can see his original piece, “Oh Hello” on the bottom left of the blog banner.) The process is very labor intensive - it can take upwards of 60 hours for Ryan to complete a single piece. The level of detail in the shading and anatomy of the animals he features in his works splashed against patterns of bright colors and shades have gained him incredibly notoriety, but not just in the art world. In October of 2015, he donated his piece “Quiet Contemplation” to the Gorilla Doctors Foundation for a silent auction of theirs, and then in November of 2015 he donated another work “King Among Monarchs” to the African Wildlife Foundation. Not only is he donating pieces, he donates his profits - a percentage of what Ryan makes ends up being donated to the local wildlife conservation efforts. Conservation of the beauty that nature holds around us is obviously more than just a theme for Daniel Ryan’s artwork - it’s a credo he lives up to everyday through his incredible talents. 

For the final artist in our lineup today, we have the emotional and very creative Fabio Napoleoni. His array of adorable characters will tug at your heartstrings, whether you know their backstory or not. The deep well of feelings that reside within his paint strokes resonate with all who gaze upon his works. It’s no wonder he’s gotten as popular as he has in such a small amount of time, but he didn’t squander the blessing that life had given him. Napoleoni has a piece that he created specifically to benefit the Operation Motorsport organization, entitled “We Are One” (pictured in the blog banner, top left). Operation Motorsport has a goal of aiding disabled, injured, and wounded service members/veterans in finding retraining, recovery, and rehabilitation through a love of motorsports. 

To wrap this giant post up, we wanted to share with you all that not only do your purchases here allow fabulous artwork into your home...they’re doing some real work. Aaron LaPedis, owner of Fascination St. Fine Art and Frame, is a huge supporter of local charities. Whether it be donating straight out of our own profits, or providing items for charity gala silent auctions, we are constantly trying to find ways to give back to the community and world we live in. Places we have donated have been local schools, the Autism Society, Gateway Battered Women’s Services, Invisible Disabilities, and many others. Our latest venture has been donating the cash tips at the bar from the Michael Godard show to the Autism Society - so be sure to come to our events so as to not miss out on an easy way to give back! 

Thanks for reading about all of the good that can come from creating, selling, and purchasing artwork. Art truly can change lives, and we want to help foster that philosophy within our own business. We are glad to have you all, our loyal customers, to help make that ideal a reality.

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Email: info@fascinationst.com
Phone: 303-333-1566