Stacy Kamin
Stacy Kamin grew up in Washington D.C. immersed in a rich cultural environment and her work reflects classic traditions in both oil paintings and bronze sculpture. Stacy has a great take on the contemporary scene with her paintings of cooks, musicians, and garment workers, each piece active and expressive. On the other hand, her moody still-life florals are dark, mysterious, and wonderfully understated. Youth, talent, training, and a fine artistic heritage all combine to make Kamin's images fresh and instantly appealing. In 2017, Stacy and her mother Jacqueline began the volunteer group "Drawn to Serve."
"Drawn to Serve" was created when Jacqueline and Stacy Kamin volunteered to draw and paint portraits of veterans at the CalVet Veterans Home in Los Angeles. The stories that they heard from these veterans helped them capture the spirit of a dying breed of men who sacrificed everything for our country. Jacqueline and Stacy are honored to be able to draw these Veterans. Capturing our nation's heroes through portraiture is their missions. Once completed they plan to put on a traveling portrait exhibit with accompanying documentary testimonials, where viewers will be able to see the portraits come to life along with the veterans' stories.
"About a year ago, my friend Leah asked me if I wanted to volunteer at CalVet for Thanksgiving. She said I could draw the veterans. I said "yes," and that's how I met John Knight. He wanted a portrait and sat for me. Once a week after that, John arranged for 3 or 4 more veterans to pose for me. And as simply as that, Drawn To Serve began. But it would never have happened without John Knight's tireless efforts."
"When my mother, Jacqueline Kamin, a professional artist as well, decided to join me, Drawn To Serve really began to grow. Every week, my mother and I looked forward to the day we got to spend painting and drawing and getting to know more men and women veterans. We heard their stories. We discovered how they were drawn to serve. We shared our lives on these magical inspiring days."
"Pretty soon we had enough artwork to have a show. At the same time, we learned that the veterans needed a bus. Many of the wheelchair-bound veterans at the Los Angeles Veterans Home have to wait for hours and hours for inadequate transportation shuttles to take them back and forth from the VA to much needed medical services. These shuttles are limited to one or two wheelchairs at most."
"We decided to start a Go Fund Me page for a bus that will allow up to 14 World War II Veterans in wheelchairs to be transported at once. With their own bus, these heroes can be taken on group field trips in addition to all important life-saving trips to the VA for medical attention. This vehicle will help the veterans regain a sense of freedom. Having fought so hard for our freedoms, we owe them the freedom of the transportation they so desperately need and deserve."
"These men and women have not only been a gift to us, they represent the gift of security, freedom and love of democracy for all Americans and for those who love freedom all over the world. And so we are on the bus. They never kept their country waiting. Let's not keep them waiting. Won't you join us and make the 'Freedom Bus' a reality?"
Contact Lily Pad Gallery West for information on pricing and to view additional works by Stacy Kamin.
(414)-509-5756
info@lilypadgallery.com
To learn more about Stacy, visit her Artist page: