Art4Changes Global Project
Art4Changes is a charity project, which was founded by David Datuna and ArtMarketSchool, an online art marketing course from well-known artists, earlier this year that aims to fight global problems. Artists including Roger Ballen, Ultra Violet, William John Kennedy, Anthony Liggins, ConorMccreedy and David Datuna, are donating their artwork to the cause. ArtMarketSchool is donating a free art therapy lecture for the cause, listed on the art4changes.com site. Additional supporters that are donating items for sale include: legendary NHL player, Alexander Ovechkin; Swiss watch company, Ernst Benz; Petochi Jewelry House and HOC Perfume Brand. All of the donated artifacts, memorabilia and merchandise are available on the Art4Change site to raise money for the COVID-19 research and treatment. (from: https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/New-York-Based-Artist-Launches-Global-Non-Profit-Art4Changes-20200330) BoadwayWorld made a full spread on this project, urging all to join.

Most recently the Art4Changes Global Project was featured along side with same stellar art-world names as AlmineRech,Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Levy Gorvy, Charlotte Periand, Jeff Koons and Artsy in the Galeriemagazine article featuring COVID-19 Art World initiative (from: https://www.galeriemagazine.com/art-world-sale-covid-relief/?fbclid=IwAR1KOhSX_55wqZljnnQUwvxXwFW9AFm92EjWL5532lqu4BZE3E1qwjlI5f0)

On March 26, 2020 the New York Post Page Six announced: -"That artist David Datuna has launched a new nonprofit, Art4Changes, to help fight coronavirus …" further spreading the public awareness about the project (https://pagesix.com/we-hear/).A big believer in the power of Art, David knew that it can be used to change the situation and after he found a partner and an ally in Christina Katrakis the charitable project Art4Changes was born.Art4Changes was created by Katrakis' team-mates from ArtMarketSchool, where Katrakis is the president and the professor. At the time, AMS team was working on a special art lecture and workshop with David Datuna. All lectures, workshops and projects were put aside, in order to concentrate fully on the cause. Whole team worked around the clock to set up the art4changes site, reach out to major artists and celebrities, set the system of donations, interaction and support. As a result, a global non-profit project Art4Changes was successfully launched. Every dollar realized from the sale of all of the listed on the site artworks, memorabilia, lectures, merchandise, downloads sold during this time – will go directly to COVID-19 fundraising efforts. Art4Changes allows the buyer to choose and make a direct donation to organization they want their contributions to go to including: The World Health Organization, International Red Cross and the CDC Foundation (from article: http://www.noise11.com/news/art4changes-unites-the-power-of-art-to-fight-covid-19-via-the-worlds-great-artists-20200331)

Art4Changes enables the participants and donors to make a choice, not only of making a stand for something truly important (charitable cause), but also to where the funds will be directed to: - "Once an artwork is bought, the buyer has a choice of which organization receives the funds—the World Health Organization, the International Red Cross, or the CDC Foundation." – Art News writes. (https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/breaking-art-industry-news-march-2020-week-4-1202681989/)

ArtFixDaily further describes the transparency of the charitable project in its publication: -" David Datuna, the New York-based artist who ate Maurizio Cattelan's ( $120K Art Basel ) Banana titled "The Comedian", is launching a global project with his non-profit Art4Changes in response to the global coronavirus pandemic. Every dollar realized from the sale of all of his existing artwork sold during this time will go directly to COVID-19 fundraising efforts. Art4Changes allows the buyer to choose and make a direct donation which organization they want their contributions to go to including: The World Health Organization, International Red Cross and the CDC Foundation.

The artwork purchase process is completely transparent. The buyer chooses the work they want to purchase and chooses one of the above charities. The buyer can even choose the country to which they want to donate in particular. The buyer sends the total cost of the artwork directly to the charity. Art4Changes does not handle any financial transactions and makes no profit from the sale. Art4Changes then receives a transaction receipt from the charity from that individual. At that point, the buyer directly coordinates and pays for their preferred shipment and insurance. The courier then, contacts the artist regarding the pick-up details." (from: http://www.artfixdaily.com/artwire/release/8273-new-york-based-artist-launches-global-non-profit-art4changes-to-d)

David Datuna who is one of the few unique artists in History, alongside with Andy Warhol, to be on exhibit in Smithsonian with his project "Portrait of America" and documentary film on it, is currently combating lung cancer. Most recently Datuna was raising funds to support cancer research at St. Sainai Hospital, where David has been fighting cancer for the last seven years. (from: Resident Magazine page 14-15 https://issuu.com/resident_mag/docs/__issuu_march_2020_olivier_arrindell )

Yet in the light of Global Pandemic his attention was turned towards COVID-19 treatment, cure and aid: -" This is personal to me, since I'm battling cancer at the moment and know the fear of mortality firsthand, hence this project of Help means a lot!" says Datuna. ( more on this is here: http://www.noise11.com/news/art4changes-unites-the-power-of-art-to-fight-covid-19-via-the-worlds-great-artists-20200331?fbclid=IwAR19I47KuV3XlhR9x3ozB6HVruSlDCvysgpXvI0HPqLbnLi2WRHzSqX7Qwk)

Even though Art4Changes is a new project, it already has produced wonderful charitable results. Most recently the work by Roger Ballen was sold and the proceeds were directed by the buyer fully and totally towards the Red Cross cause. (perches reciept attached).This isn't Ballen's first charitable art-project, not long ago he created a series of photographs together with the famous music band Die Antwoord, skateboards and an amazing music video "I Fink U Freeky". The profits from the sale of the skateboards went towards much needed Help for the kids of Africa. Ballen believes that, art can play a very important role in the world today, and can alter it on many levels. Doing good through the power of art is the ultimate goal. Die Antwoord, who consider Roger Ballen to be their 'founding father' of sorts, since after seeing his work they stopped everything they were doing and reinvented themselves as 'Die Antwoord' ("the answer" in African), have also continued to work with art projects. Building a creative bridge between music and representational art. Not long ago Yo-Landi's imagery was used by famous artist Damien Hirst on his "Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable" in Venice Show. The works sold by Art4Changes to raise money for the cause were from Ballen's joined project with Die Antwoord, featuring the elements of Zef culture at its best.

It's probably useless to present Roger Ballen and his work - world-famous artist, whose work is in collection on MOMA in New York, TATE in London, best international auction houses showcase his work, top galleries such as Gagosian represented him as their artist, an artist for whom a museum is being built during his own life "The Roger Ballen Center for Photographic Arts" (rogerballen.com). Ballen is a renown international artist, photographer, a cult figure in the contemporary art world – a founder of his own unique, photographic style 'ballenesque', which altered the contemporary art history.

Art4Changes presents works by truly unique international art celebrities, be it the last work created-live on video by an amazing Ultra Violet, legendary muse of Salvador Dali and Andy Warhol. Or work by renown photographer William John Kennedy, who captured in his photos the Kings of Pop Art while they were creating history with their works: Andy Warhol, Robert Indiana and the Factory. Most recently the family of famous writer and poet Robert Graves, has joined the Art4Changes Project. Robert Graves, English poet, novelist, critic, and classical scholar who carried on many of the formal traditions of English verse in a period of experimentation. His more than 120 books also include a notable historical novel, I, Claudius (1934); an autobiographical classic of World War I, Good-Bye to All That (1929); and erudite, most controversial scholarly work, The White Goddess; A Historical Grammar of Poetic Myth (1948). Stephen Spender in the New York Times Book Review characterized Graves as a free thinker: "All of his life Graves has been indifferent to fashion, and the great and deserved reputation he has is based on his individuality as a poet who is both intensely idiosyncratic and unlike any other contemporary poet and at the same time classical." A rebel socially, as well as artistically, Graves's sad love poems are regarded as the finest produced in the English language during the 20th century, along with those of W.B. Yeats. Graves was elected professor of poetry at the University of Oxford. His historical novel 'I, Claudius', was chosen by 'Time' as one of the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to present in 2005. In 1934, Robert Graves was awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction for both 'I, Claudius' and 'Claudius the God'. He was among 16 Great War poets commemorated on a slate stone unveiled in Westminster Abbey's Poet's Corner in 1985. UK government documents released in 2012 indicate that Graves turned down a CBE (Most Excellent Order of British Empire Medal) in 1957. In 2012 the Nobel Records were opened after 50 years, and it was revealed that Graves was among a shortlist of authors considered for the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature. Graves refused most honours and Honoris Causa doctorates, but he did accept the Gold Medal for Poetry he received from Queen Elizabeth II in 1968, and the title of "Adopted Son of Deià"(a town in Malloerca, where he lived and died), which he considered the greatest honour of all.

Robert Graves's son Tomás Graves has recorded a unique poem of his father's for the cause while Robert Graves's granddaughter Natalia Farrán Graves donates her music album to the cause (video statement attached).

The level of the classy and refined international art celebrities differentiates Art4Changes, from any other Charitable Art Project. Art4Changes team believes that – Art can Change the World for the better! The organization further encourages all to act and make a difference: -"Simply sitting home in confinement will not change the world, acting from home to provide real help – will!". (from: http://www.noise11.com/news/art4changes-unites-the-power-of-art-to-fight-covid-19-via-the-worlds-great-artists-20200331?fbclid=IwAR19I47KuV3XlhR9x3ozB6HVruSlDCvysgpXvI0HPqLbnLi2WRHzSqX7Qwk)

Art4Changes plans to continue its mission, of changing the World for the Better through the Power of Art. –"These will be new and challenging times for the art market, as we used to know it. Art4Changes is determined to offer a new vision of the contemporary art marketing solutions, which can also benefit great global charitable causes. And when we are talking of Art, we undermine all forms of creative expression: fine arts, music, dance, acting, literature, design etc. That is exactly what Art4Changes tried to deliver, by uniting famous artists, writers, singers, designers globally as one, to support the cause and make a difference. The Art will be altered by the Pandemic in many ways. A lot of it will go on-line and it will no longer remain indifferent to the causes that matter: preserving the planet, flora and fauna, promoting health awareness, human rights and justice, fighting the pollution, poverty, discrimination and racism etc. Art4Changes was created during a Global COVID-19 Pandemic and it is meant to stand for 'Many Changes', that World and Art will face in the future. Some of the aspects, which we would like to address in the near future will be: easily available on-line international art education, successful art career and on-line art marketing. Since we strongly feel, that traditional art institutions: galleries, academies, auctions etc. – will be changing and the world will embrace on-line methods of obtaining education, starting the art career, promoting and selling art, and through it - reaching success on the market. We are determined to offer these endless and affordable opportunities to both artists and collectors. In addition, we believe, that art can truly do good globally and benefit numerous worthy causes. Hence, we will want to continue the tradition of philanthropy in our art projects, be it on-line gallery sales, free workshops and lectures or unique social projects." – summarizes the president of Art4Changes Global Project, Christina Katrakis. (personal statement attached)

Art4changes Global Campaign has come to an end in 2022 with the death of its founder David Datuna.