Surfing with a Purpose

Hello Friends

Please give me a few minutes to paint a picture in your mind. visualize this, many children with only one pair of shoes, barely a roof over their heads, and if they are lucky a few supplies for school. Imagine all these poverty stricken children and the talent that stays bottled up inside of them with no outlet. How many lil' budding artists are out there! Waiting to be given the chance to get messy with paint and create wonderful masterpieces. As an independant artist, I, Dawn Gray started Red Dawn Designs and successfully began to flourish among the island of the Outerbanks, NC and throughout the East Coast. Focusing mainly on surf art and seascapes I began to put together community art events and recognize the amazing talents of hidden artists within fellow friends and children. Such, was one of these talents, my friend, Brent McCoy. Local Outerbanks surfer/artist and well traveled surfer, he witnessed the poverty among these children in areas such as Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and other Central Amercian locations. Kids that were stoked on the simplest gift such as a used t-shirt or damaged and dinged up surf board.

The faces of these children haunted Brent's heart and he came back from his last surf destination with a mission and vision. The vision of I AM ( International Art Missions ). The idea of taking art supplies to poor regions around the world setting up art workshops in orphanages and communities with children. Giving them opportunity to be able to create and learn painting and art skills. I AM would also involve working on community murals in "trashy" areas and local hospitals or childrens facilities. This idea and vision sparked and a board of directors and supporters stood up for the cause. The artists such as Brent McCoy, Pete Rudolph, Dawn Gray , Maleah Warnock, Kim Diggs, and several other artists will be supporting their own travels to these countries and will teach these children one on one fine art skills and foudational art lessons. Not only will beauty be in the childrens art, but most importantly in blessing them with the resources and encouragment to succeed in their talents.

The key to the success of I AM missons was how to produce a self sufficient money income to these poor regions and orphanages. Brent's brilliant idea to set up an e-commerce site, selling prints of the original art made by these children will be sold through a nationally known website which will then generate all 100 percent of profits into areas of need. Ex. playgrounds, childrens homes, community centers, etc.

With all this said we are in the process of raising up art supplies to ship to central america. We need these supplies to be ready for use and dispursment among these designated areas. As well as art supplies (acrylic paint, canvas paper, brushes, etc.) we will be shipping any donated childrens apparrel (ages 4-18)to the orphans and poor stricken communities.

Coinciding with the surf communities of Central America, and International Surf Missions founder Billy Diggs. We will be hand in hand with the countries best surfers and different organizations such as Christian Surfers (www.christiansurfers.com). I am excited to already have an interest from several surf mainstream companies and would be encouraged to learn of more to come. Please keep this mission in your prayers and we will gladly keep you informed on any new news. Therefore being that "IAM" is a non profit licensed company,a tax deductable reciept can be made for any donated products or support Contact me Dawn Gray, at my studio or cell phone at any time 757-450-0799 or studio at 252-255-1668.

For Donations:
www.reddawndesigns.com
dawn@reddawndesigns.com

Red Dawn Designs
1721 Bay Drive
Kill Devil Hills NC 2794