Free Art

In my quest to get my old art off my walls I've gone to two places in Old Colorado City where I already have artwork on display: the local Carnegie Library, and the Old Colorado City History Center. This old part of Colorado Springs is a National Historic area, and the business district, which is only a few blocks from where we live, is gradually becoming more art-oriented. In addition to my giving art to my family, in the past few years I've given an oil painting to each of those places.
The Carnegie Library, where all our family (and Judy's Chickadee Child Care kids) have always walked to, had its centennial celebration recently, and as they had an old illustration of mine already hanging in the library, I was asked to make a picture for them to use for the celebration and to raise funds for its renovation, which is now done. I was happy to paint a picture for them, in return for all they've done for my family.

The Red Balloon, 18" x 24" acrylic/oil


The Old Colorado City History Center is on one side of Bancroft Park, while the Carnegie Library is on another side. I knew that the library might be scheduling exhibits for 2010, which entailed submitting artwork to be juried, but instead I walked across the park to the history center. Local icon Dave Hughes secured the old church years ago for the history center, and has turned the Historical Society (OCCHS) into an active part of the local community.
I started my art career in the 1970s making posters, maps and illustrations for Dave. He used one of my ink illustrations as the logo for OCCHS, and a few years ago I painted a large oil of the church in order to give them a color logo and help usher them into the modern world of color advertising.

Old Town Holy Day, 30" x 40" oil


The weekend of August 7-8 is the Sesquicentennial Celebration of Old Colorado City, and Dave Hughes and OCCHS have been instrumental in making that into a big Founders' Day weekend that will draw lots of people to Bancroft Park. I produced a flyer for them to use for the Arts and Crafts event in Bancroft Park this Saturday, June 20, and I will help them with flyers for Founders' Day.

A couple weeks ago I mentioned to Dave that I've got a dozen old paintings and drawings of Old Colorado City, and I asked him if OCCHS could help me sell those, that I would even be willing to give OCCHS the majority of the sales. I would advertise such a sale with "Proceeds to Benefit the Old Colorado City History Center." Dave and the society president Joanne Karlson have taken my proposal under consideration.

Included in the sale I want to include the cartoon that I featured in another flyer I've done for OCCHS for their July Old Fashioned Ice Cream Social.

So now as I wait to hear from Dave and Joanne, I'm wondering if I've done the right thing. I've actually offered to give them a commission of 60% or higher. Is this just another form of giving away my art? Am I nuts? What do you think I should do?