Crush Cider Cafe fundraiser for Glo & Joy Art

Partnership with Crush Cider Cafe to raise funds for the Glo & Joy Art” project series
September 27th
3-9pm
1020 Wasco St.
Hood River

Come support the Glo & Joy Art Project! Enjoy food, drinks, youth art, and a silent auction. A portion of proceeds will benefit budding artists. 

Background of project: In the fall, Gloria Hammer along with her granddaughter, Sadie, stumbled upon Joy’s Art Studio on the heights in Hood River. They had the most delightful two hours together, where Sadie painted an elephant and Gloria painted a coffee cup. As Gloria began her painting, she felt overwhelmed by the blank canvas staring back at her, but before long she was painting with ease to the calming and encouraging voice of Joy Kloman, the studio owner.

A spark was born that day. Gloria decided that she wanted to pay this wonderful experience forward to children in the community. Before long she found Gorge Youth Mentoring at The Next Door, and a painting party for kids and their mentors was in the works.

The day of the painting party, each participant had a blank canvas laid out before them. You could have heard a pin drop in the stillness of the room during the two hours that these remarkable creations were being made. “Joy has such a soft-spoken manner that is so mesmerizing as she guides everyone along the painting process. And you can do no wrong. It was a magical experience to know that each person attending would leave with a piece that they created. A tangible object pointing to their success,” said Gloria.

Because of her passion to demonstrate a legacy of giving with her granddaughter, Sadie, as well as her desire to see kids in the community say, “I can!”, Gloria has begun fundraising for future painting parties for other programs at The Next Door. She believes art helps develop self-confidence, persistence, cooperation, among many other skills, and this motivates her to seek future donations for the “Glo & Joy Art” project series.

“Thank you, Gloria, for championing our kids and for taking the steps to make sure they experience the tangible and magical experience of art! Your enthusiasm is inspirational! Please join her in this passion and donate today,” said Next Door Executive Director Janet Hamada.