A World Without Art Is Like a Heart Without Love
Our Grandmother Estrella Matos filled her life and ours with beauty and art.
She came to the United States from Cuba in 1952 as a young woman in pursuit of a better life. Art and painting were her passion and she used that skill and passion to forge her path and her career.
When we lost her on December 30, 2020, we wanted her legacy to live on, and so this foundation was born.
There is so much creativity in the world, but not every child has the benefit of an Abuela, like we had, to bring them art supplies and to draw and paint with them. This is especially the case for children of immigrants in our public school systems that are the victims of budget cuts to school art programs and cannot afford basic art supplies to be able express that creativity and beauty that lies within.
Our Mission is to make a difference, one child at a time.
OUR MISSION
Each year we will raise funds, and as often as we are able, we will select deserving students who will receive a grant they can use to purchase art supplies, as well as an art class they can use to improve their skills. At the start, we want to focus on Hispanic children within our public schools to honor our grandmother and her bravery immigrating alone to this country from Cuba and because through our other service experiences we have seen such a need among migrant children in our own communities. Of course, our hope is to expand this program so we can help more children and fill the world with even more art, but even the greatest masterpiece needs to start with a simple stroke of the brush.
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”
– Pablo Picasso