It’s no secret that I have a soft spot for under-served youth and by extension, a fondness for organizations that seek to help them. When I bought my tickets for the Outward Bound Adventures 55 Years Garden Party Fundraiser for myself and my wife, it was merely to attend an event and support an organization that I believe in.
Outward Bound Adventures (OBA), if you didn’t already know, is dedicated to leading under-served youth through meaningful nature-based experiences. OBA empowers the youth they serve with both dignity and personal accountability by creating experiences that give the youth a greater appreciation of wilderness, self, family and community.
So, you can imagine the honor I felt when a piece of my art was chosen as the gift for this year’s recipient of the Helen Mary Williams Spirit Award. This year’s recipient of the award is Virginia Morrell (pictured above with myself), a NY Times Bestselling Author and National Geographic Writer whose keynote speech was both entertaining and enlightening.
Helen Mary Williams founded OBA and the Spirit Award identifies one person who best exemplifies Helen’s spirit of tolerance, inclusion and respect for cultures other than her own. Besides these, the Spirit Award also recognizes Virginia Morrell’s other outstanding qualities; a spirit of love and a deep appreciation for our natural world, especially animals.
To have a piece of my art be included in such an event is humbling.
The piece chosen by OBA’s Executive Director, Charles Thomas Jr., is entitled “Air Brush” and was created from a photo I took while at Descanso Gardens with my wife and sister. It was a special day for me for many reasons, and now this piece holds an even greater special place in my heart with the new home it has found.
You can find out more information on Outward Bound Adventures and make donations by going to:
www.obainc.org
You can find out more information on Virginia Morrell at:
Gillian Mackenzie Agency
You can find out more and purchase Virginia Morrell’s books on Amazon.com using the link below:
Amazon.com
Like my Chris Wesley Fine Art & Fiction Facebook Page and you’ll be eligible to win a free 8″ x 12″ Fine Art Print.
On the path to figuring out what aspect of Paris I could create a collection out of, I went down a few creative roads that dead ended.
Announcing… “Radiant | Paris”
Every year I make a mental note to bring my real camera to the LA County Fair, and then fail to do so when the next year rolls around.