Photography connected with purpose — using art to support children and the wider community.
Original article: “Art to give kids a perfect kickstart”, written by Cameron England for The Advertiser, published 31 July 2014. Photo by Mike Burton (RIP).
Art proceeds to help Kickstart for Kids reach out to more hungry school kids
PHOTOGRAPHER Luiza Michalewicz’s heart broke when she heard Ian Steel’s stories of children going to school without breakfast.
The Semaphore Park artist, born in Poland, will donate all of the profits from her Cosmic Fingerprints exhibition, which opens this Friday, August 1, to Mr Steel’s charity Kickstart for Kids, which provides breakfast programs for schools across South Australia.
The charity this week celebrates signing up the 120th school to its school breakfast programs and this week has announced a significant partnership with the Commonwealth Bank.
The undisclosed sponsorship for one year, with the possibility to extend it for two years, will see the free breakfast program delivered to regional schools around the state for the first time. CBA staff will be on hand as volunteers in the areas.
Kickstart for Kids currently provides 20,000 breakfasts per week and 700 – 800 emergency lunches to 120 public and some semi-private schools.
Mr Steel, a student mentor and coach, said the partnership would go a long way in the charity’s aim to double the number of assisted schools in the next 12 months.
“I realised that most kids were turning up on empty stomachs, either because families didn’t care or just didn’t have the means, and that was causing behavioural problems.
“As a father, I couldn’t ignore the huge difference a good breakfast makes in controlling so many aspects at school whether it’s feeling cared for, longer attention spans or positive behaviour changes.
Mr Steel said it costs $1200 to feed an entire school and CBA’s support means the charity is one step closer to helping and reaching out to more needy children.
National Pharmacies is another major sponsor of the charity and a number of smaller local businesses and suppliers also assist with the program.
The charity, which has been running for eight years, has a goal of raising money to set up its own cold store, so it can become more efficient logistically.
Michalewicz’s funds will go towards this project and the charity’s general activities.
Michalewicz said she had been working on the exhibition for about nine months.
“Each of us has a unique story to tell — a cosmic fingerprint that we leave behind,’’ she said.
“This collection of vibrant colours, lines and patterns represents the passage of time, our personal experiences — our unique life story. Through different colours and arrangements, we can identify and interpret our unique existence: childhood memories and hopes, first love, excitement and monotony, happiness and sadness, failures and accomplishments.
“I’d like people when they look at my photographs – I want them to stand in front of them and spend some time and think about what story there is for them in that photograph.
“If it evokes feelings, it doesn’t necessarily have to be positive but I want people to stop for a change, because we rush so fast through the day … I wanted to make a collection of photographs which evoke some deeper thoughts.’’
The photographs are unaltered with no digital retouching after they are taken.
The Cosmic Fingerprints exhibition is part of the South Australian Living Artists (SALA) Festival. It opens this Friday at Georges in Waymouth St and will run until August 23.
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