Community.
I started Good Ink Missions as a way to use my privilege and profits to support our community. Initiatives range from designing/printing shirts focused on current issues, donating youth workshops to create a dialogue about social justice, and creating/running events to raise money for local non-profit organizations.
Good Ink Missions
A portion of all my commercial screen printing profits funds these missions.
More Than a Pretty Picture
During the 2nd year of Covid I created an outdoor art space I call GalleRy as it's literally in the alley leading to the studio. It's not super fancy, but it's open year round. Two new exhibits March 2023.
LiberTee-Shirt Events
I schedule social/protest T-shirt printing events on Saturdays where all you need is a blank shirt. During 2022 we printed more than 800 shirts for free. Next date TBA.
Social Justice for Youth
I do studio tours with youth and if they have a social issue they are working on I donate a design and all the materials for them to screen print mini-poster and/or shirts.
2022 Privilege with Purpose
The following areas show how I chose to use my business and resources as a way to support others and the issues we face as a community. I am fortunate, that as a single-person studio, I have a certain amount of financial success that allows me take on all these missions. Ink Lounge was also recognized in Westword's Best of Denver 2022 issue for Community Service. Read Article
A War of Words / $1,450
I've been printing free shirts for social issues but I decided to try a pre-sale of one of the shirts I had designed with profits going to the International Organization of Immigration that was supporting Ukraine and immigration around the world. In the end I also decided to donate the shirts & materials.
$1,250 International Organization of Immigration
$200 donated shirts/printing supplies/ink/film/etc.
15+ hours design/printing
Good Art for Sale / $1,240
For 2022 I donated a minimum of 50% of all exhibit sales to non-profits. I also created a LemonAID stand for our 15th Anniversary and the youth donated their sales ($170).
$570 JeffCo Eats (Includes LemonAID sales)
$325 Access Gallery
$165 Center on Colfax
$350 went to others including the Woman's Bean Project, Headwaters Protectors, New Era Colorado, Ukrainians of Colorado, BLM5280
Talk is Cheap / $2,600
I found out that a country musician I screen printed a poster for was filmed using racial slurs. So I donated 100% of the fees to various causes to support the Black Community.
$500 The Black Opry
$500 Color Me Country Artist Grant Fund
$1,000 I commissioned Juliette Hemingway, a local illustrator, to collaborate on a poster that I screen printed and donated to the local Juneteenth Festival to sell.
$600 donated shirts/printing supplies/ink/film/tubes/etc.
20+ hours design/printing/coordinating
Youthful Ambition / $500
I worked with about 10 youth organizations and schools this last year including Anythink Libraries, Boys & Girls Clubs, DPS SPARK program, IIYC, and others. Time is all donated including the design and shirts for their print projects
$500+ covered shirts/printing supplies/ink/film/etc.
40+ hours design/tour/print activity
Abortion is Healthcare / $17,300
I designed and pre-sold 725 shirts where 100% of sales, ($14,500) was donated to support abortion rights. I also purchased/donated shirts. Thanks to 9News article!
$6,500 Patient Assistance Fund for the Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains
$2,000 Cobalt Abortion Fund / $2,000 COLOR Latina
$2,000 Colorado Doula Project / $2,000 Soul 2 Soul Sisters
$2,800 donated shirts/printing supplies/ink/film/etc.
40+ hours design/printing/coordinating
Protest-Ink / $600
I continue to design and and screen print mini-posters to give away at marches to give those in attendance something to wave in support. My main goal is for them to take home as a reminder on why they were there that day and find ways to use their resources to support these causes.
$600+ donated paper/printing supplies/ink/film/etc.
50+ hours design/printing/handing out
LiberTee-Shirts
During 2022 I also ran 8-10 events on Saturdays where people brought shirts and I screen print social issue designs for free / printed more than 800 shirts this past year / 2023 Dates
Past Mission Summaries
A few of the more ambitious community initiatives from recent years that show how I use my resources.
It’s Not Black & White...
MISSION TO GIVE COLORADO ARTISTS A CHANCE TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES / $6,400 Raised and Donated
I created an exhibit where the artist's piece represented a social issue that matters to them. I also secured 3 curators and donated all the screen printing. $3,650 sales went to the artists, $1,375 to Headwaters Protectors, $1,375 to the Black Loves Mural Festival, and $600 went back to Ink Lounge to cover event materials, muralist costs, and shipping.
Signs of the Time
MISSION TO GET IN THE WAY / $1,300+ Raised and Donated
I created a first amendment event and voter registration drive with the help of great volunteers. For the exhibit I designed, screen printed, and fabricated 12 6ft signs to form a sculpture garden and 200 standard size to sell. 50% of sales benefited BLM5280 and Future Coalition. My wife and I also completed the tests to receive our Voter Registration Drive certificates.
Home. Hope! Exhibit
MISSION USING MY PRIVILEGE TO HELP OTHERS
During the stay at home order, I created an online art exhibit to benefit 25 artists and Access Gallery, a local non-profit. For each artist I printed 100, CMYK screen prints at 50% my normal rate. I donated the printing to the 4 Access Gallery artists and with the exception of shipping fees, all sales went directly back to the artist with a portion also benefiting Access Gallery.
It's Not B&W... Exhibit 2021
Signs of the Time 2020/2021
Home. Hope! Exhibit 2020
