1858 Southeast 13th Street, Homestead, Florida 33035

T (305) 807-2217

Community is Much More Than Belonging to Something; It's About Doing Something Together That Makes Belonging Matter.

Type: Affiliate
Categories: Affiliates

General info
As community artists, we aim to observe and identify challenges in the communities in which we live, create ways to bring people together through the arts, and help solve problems with practical solutions. As new residents of Homestead, Florida, we were enchanted by the many farms and nurseries in our subtropical town. We also noticed thousands of farmworkers in the fields, covered from head-to-toe with protective clothing, working under the blazing sun. It was no surprise to learn that farmworkers (worldwide) experience high levels of Heat-Related Illness / HRI. In 2014, we started a grassroots community project to provide regional farmworkers with some much needed relief from the intense heat. We facilitated collaborative ink drawing events in our community and had the artwork printed onto bolts of fabric. We used this fabric to make Cool Ties for the farmworkers, helping them to reduce their core body temperature. Thousands of these Community Art Cool Ties have been given to regional agricultural workers as gifts of appreciation for their hard work. The Cool Ties were received with so many smiles that by 2015 we were inspired to expand our project nationally and form Art For Good, a 501c3 nonprofit organization.