Hillsborough Artist Hosts Virtual 'Paint It Forward' For Charity

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Grab a glass of wine and unwind with some painting while giving back to local Somerset County heroes. Hillsborough native and art lover Jennifer Katzman is "painting it forward" for The Mask Squad of Somerset County.

Katzman, owner of Mimosas & Masterpieces in South Bound Brook, had several friends volunteering the Mask Squad, which is made up of volunteers who sew coronavirus masks out of their homes amid the quarantine. Read More: Somerset County Folks On Mission To Sew 100K Coronavirus Masks

That's when Katzman decided to dedicate a "Paint It Forward" event to help support the them.

"I'm not a sewer, I hadn't left my house for almost 3 months and I just wanted to find a way to give back. What better way than do something I love for a few hours, make a couple of connections and be able to help support them?" Katzman said.

Katzman has held many Paint It Forward events in the past but those were in person. Due to the quarantine, Katzman is hosting virtual events which have been a hit.

When the coronavirus first hit Katzman was really disappointed as she lost about four months worth of business including cancelled private parties, fundraising events, and more.

"Instead of fretting for too long, I just came up with the idea to offer a free virtual paint night," Katzman said.

Katzman was blown away by the response she received for her paint night.

"When I came back to my phone, the amount of messages, photos, notes, thank yous, some people even offered tips which I hadn't thought of... I sat and read and just cried. Like bawling. I had no idea how much I needed this just as much as everyone else," Katzman said.

Continuing with her virtual paint nights, Katzman came up with the design for The Mask Squad paint night, which is reminiscent of "Rosie the Riveter" with a mask.

"I've always seen the various works and of course the original as a symbol of strength and perseverance. I can't think of another image more fitting for this time in our history. We have mostly women (and I know we have a pretty great guy) now working to make masks. They're not only fulfilling requests for families and individuals, they are also donating these to our frontline workers and volunteers; all of whom to me represent strength and perseverance at this time," Katzman said.

The "Paint It Forward" event will be held on June 18 and each participant is asked to donate $10 to the mask squad at gofundme.com/f/100000-masks-for-somerset-county.

When that is done, participants send proof of the donation to mimosasmasterpieces@yahoo.com. Katzman will then email participants the sketch to pre-draw/transfer to a canvas as well as the Zoom, which will be a private event.

For more information visit Katzman's Facebook event page here.

• Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

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