CHARITY
(OR THE ARTIST WHO WANTED A SEAT AT THE TABLE)

Charity (or the Artist Who Wanted a Seat at the Table)
Mixed Media on Wood | 12.5’’ x 13.125’’ x 27.25’’ | 2025

ARTIST STATEMENT - Charity is a tribute to the artists we don’t always hear—the quiet ones, the ones the world rushes past without ever really seeing.

The piece is intentionally unfinished—not due to a lack of skill or ambition, but to reflect an artist who ran out of resources, support, or the creative energy needed to continue. It's a visual echo of the many artistic journeys cut short not by choice, but by circumstance.

This kind of struggle is especially common in smaller towns and rural communities, where art is often expected to be decorative, pleasant, or easy to understand—viewed more as craft than conversation. While there’s real value in that kind of work, and it absolutely deserves public support, an exclusive focus on beauty can sideline artists who take creative risks, challenge norms, and use their work to spark dialogue and reflection.

And while organizations and schools—including those like WAC—work hard to support these voices, their efforts are increasingly limited. As funding dries up and institutional backing declines, it becomes harder to sustain meaningful programs. Meanwhile, decision-makers in higher positions continue to question whether the arts are worth the investment—forgetting the critical role they play in building empathy, identity, and resilience in our communities.

In the end, Charity is both a tribute and a warning. If we don’t make room for these small but essential voices—if we don’t support the artists who create from the margins—we risk losing them entirely. Not because they stopped caring, but because no one listened when it mattered most.

Charity participated in "Seat at the Table," an exhibition and fundraiser auction organized by the Watauga Arts Council (WAC) in late summer and early fall 2025. This community-centered project invites artists to transform simple chairs into meaningful works of art, turning everyday objects into canvases for creative expression. More than an exhibition, Seat at the Table serves as an advocacy effort, highlighting the essential role of the arts in schools, public spaces, community planning, events, and daily life. The project reflects WAC’s mission to make the arts accessible to everyone. By reimagining a familiar object, participating artists demonstrate that creativity can thrive in unexpected places, even in the most familiar surroundings.

The completed chairs were first displayed in local downtown businesses at the start of September, then brought together for a collective exhibition before being auctioned off at Buskers Fest (the annual arts festival held in Downtown Boone). Proceeds from this project will support participating artists and programs that bring inclusive, community-centered art opportunities to people of all ages and backgrounds at the Watauga Arts Council.