Schools

'Art With A Heart' Gives Local Students a Chance to Raise Money for Food Banks

Creativity of young people from Quaker Valley, YMCA and Watson Institute provides a helping hand to less fortunate.

For most student artists, it’s all about creating the best work of art so they can get a good grade on the project. But for the artists who entered the "Art with a Heart" silent auction, it has become about something more: creating a work that will raise the most money.

The event is being held by the , and was designed to raise funds for area food banks that are always in need. The show has around 30-35 pieces, all crafted from children ranging in age from 2 to 18 who attend , the , or the .

There is a diversity of mediums to meet everyone’s tastes, including paintings, photographs, mixed-media and sculptures. One piece in particular, a patchwork sheet music canvas that has images of vintage automobiles sketched on top, was crafted by eighth-grader Gia Veltre.

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“I love art, it’s how I spend my time, and this is just a great opportunity,” said Gia, who attends . “I’d like to go to college for art. I think it’s really great, being here and everything.”

She is no stranger to the spotlight: She has had work in her school’s art club gallery, as well as participated in a display at the . Art is one of her favorite things to do, she said, and this manner of giving back is exactly what Sewickley Herald editor Debra Utterback said the show is about.

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“It’s nice the kids can do something, paint something up themselves that will benefit the community,” Utterback said. “They are excited, they came in and saw their painting and it made them feel good that they did something, because little kids don’t think that they can do something to help.”

The show will be taking bids through January in order to allow more people to bid competitively and to increase the dollar amount raised.

“We’re hoping to get the most we can to benefit the food banks,” said Utterback. “We’ve gotten generous bids, so we’re not exactly sure how much it will be.”


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