Art for Doing Your Part to Help Kids Thrive and Succeed

Every dollar invested in the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford has far-reaching academic, social and family impact for this nonprofit’s 9,000 young members. To encourage even more people to support the organization as it prepares to open a new South End Club to serve an additional 1,500 children, Farmington-based oil painter Kate Emery is collecting donations for Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford and will reward all contributors with gift certificates in an amount equal to what they give. In addition, all those who support Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford with a donation of any amount will be entered to win Emery’s original oil painting, A New Day, or its $450 value toward any available piece in her online gallery.

The now national Boys & Girls Clubs of America was founded in Connecticut’s capital city more than 161 years ago, and this month, the Hartford organization will also celebrate Sam Gray, President and CEO with 30 years of service and leadership. “I’ve known Sam for many years, from serving both as a volunteer and as a Director at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford,” says Emery. “Watching Sam in action is a joy,” she says. “His love and genuine concern for the kids is palpable; his dedication is fierce; his spirit shines through his ever-present smile.”

Emery is honored to help celebrate Gray’s 30th anniversary and excited for this fall’s debut of the new South End Boys & Girls Club. “Sam lights up your day whenever you are in his company, and I know that under his care, the new Club will bring that light to even more kids,” she says.

To take advantage of Emery’s creative incentive while helping kids thrive, write a check payable to Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford and mail it to: Clatter Valley Studio, 74 Prattling Pond Road, Farmington, CT 06032. Send your donation to arrive by the drawing date, July 1, and include your email address to receive your gift certificate electronically. Donations may also be made online at: KateEmery.com/events-calendar. Whether you give $25, $100 or more, you’ll make a real difference and earn credit toward fresh art that can bring joy into a loved one’s or your own world this summer.

About Kate Emery

Based in Connecticut’s Farmington Valley, Kate Emery (KateEmery.com) is a fine art oil painter whose work includes landscapes inspired by her home in New England and her travels to Italy, abstract landscapes, flowers, and portraits. She is the founder of The Walker Group, a Farmington-based professional technology services social enterprise, and reSET, a Hartford-based nonprofit that seeks to advance the social enterprise sector in the state. Although she has been painting for more than 30 years, she has only recently made art her full-time career. One-third (or more) of the proceeds from all of her sales go to community organizations on the front lines and behind the scenes, solving our most pressing local and global problems. Recent beneficiaries have included the Hill-Stead Museum, the Farmington and Simsbury land trusts, AIDS Connecticut, Interval House, For All Ages and Fresh Start Pallet Products. Kate’s work is currently featured in group exhibitions at Art Gallery at Mill and The Connecticut Art Gallery at The Silo.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford

As the founding organization of the national Boys & Girls Clubs of America movement, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford impacts the lives of nearly 9,000 Hartford children annually. The Clubs programming focuses on Academic Success and Workforce Readiness, Health and Wellness, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, STEAM and Character and Leadership. The Clubs mission is to enable all young people, especially those most in need, to realize their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens. For more information, visit bgchartford.org.