Journey of Hope 2016 | Page 31

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KYRA COATES : ARTIST , NUN , MOTHER , HUMANITARIAN

One woman ’ s fight to make a difference and find fulfilment

by Katie Smith

Cultures have been creating art to tell stories , preserve history , and express emotions for thousands of years . From the first cave drawings discovered in France , to the intricate paintings hanging in galleries today , artwork has an important place in our culture .

Art is often seen as a luxury . It ’ s one of the first programs to be cut from school budgets . Large pieces are often relegated to expensive private collections or hidden away in galleries that don ’ t serve a general population . Even when art is created by activists or artists from vulnerable populations , the artwork rarely serves those populations .
Artist Kyra Coates is seeking to challenge this traditional outlook of the art world . She ’ s taking on the idea of art as luxury and is asking the question , “ What would it look like if art could provide service and empower vulnerable communities ?”
These questions led her to create Infuse Gallery , the first online art gallery of its kind . Her vision marries the ideas of art as service , art as a way to make a living , and art as a way to empower individuals . She ’ s teaming up artists who are driven to serve nonprofit organizations that empower vulnerable communities , and buyers who want their purchases to go further . Central Asia Institute is one of the first nonprofit organizations Infuse Gallery has partnered with .
A New Art Paradigm
Infuse Gallery ’ s unique business model is based on the idea that service to others can also turn a profit . The Gallery supports at-risk populations by teaming up with artists who want to use their talents to serve others , nonprofit organizations that empower vulnerable communities , and socially conscious consumers .
These goals are accomplished through a three-part commitment . The gallery first vets charities and identifies organizations that work to empower disenfranchised populations . Artists – many of whom are very successful career artists ( two even have had collections in the Museum of Modern Art in New York ) – agree to donate a portion of the profit from each piece they sell to one of those nonprofit organizations , and the gallery matches that donation . Kyra also saves space in her gallery for aspiring artists from these communities to display their work and earn a living .
“ It ’ s taking the idea of art as something elite and letting it be this powerful tool of creativity and potential for everyone : the creator , the buyer and the nonprofit ,” Kyra explains . “ Everyone becomes connected to everybody else through this process .”
This fall one of CAI ’ s scholarship students , Mushtari , will have her drawings featured in Infuse Gallery , and her drawings will be displayed to the public for the first time . The profit she makes from selling her artwork to an international audience will help
The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of Central Asia Institute .
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