Heather Haynes has found a way to combine her artistic talents to provide beauty – as well as giving back on a grander global scale.
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Canadian mixed media artist Heather Haynes has been a working artist for over 30 years, but 10 years ago, a trip changed her dramatically, and as a result, her work changed as well. A decade ago, her strong need to address gender inequality took her to the Democratic Republic of Congo. That trip, and a chance meeting with a Congolese gentleman caring for orphan children truly altered the trajectory of her artwork and her life. Those children became the inspiration for her powerful 80-piece installation Wall of Courage, honoring the resilience of the human spirit. Each of these emotional paintings features a Congolese orphan and shares the stories of their parents. Wall of Courage has been exhibited in both the US & Canada (currently at the UTA Artists Space in Los Angeles) and raises funds to help eradicate poverty through healthcare & education in Goma, DRC.
Wall of Courage naturally led Haynes to form the non-profit Art of Courage. The organization is helping to change lives every day in the Congo and the programs they’ve created & support provide education, nutrition, advocacy and awareness to hundreds of Congolese children. A portion of her art sales go to supporting the foundation and this underserved community. She is walking the walk and using her gifts to truly change lives. In addition to purchasing art, people can support the foundation through donations or directly sponsoring a child at www.theartofcourage.ca.
At present, Haynes is working on her new series: The Transcenders. The 5 painting series revisits children from the Wall of Courage and celebrates the sometimes unseen power within these young girls – by using iconic superhero imagery – to once again tackle the issues of gender inequality.
Follow Heather on Instagram @heather_haynes_artist
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