Arts of Life Meets Giving Room

Our most recent partnership is with Giving Room Skate Company. An organization with locations in Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York, they too, are a non-profit with a mission to channel the creativity of skateboarders and artists in a way that gives back to their communities. Giving Room provides new and emerging artists the platform to present their work and express creativity.

Displaying artists’ creations on skateboard decks, apparel, and merch, Giving Room offers an alternative platform than traditional galleries and exhibitions. Creating a bridge between the worlds of art, design, skateboarding, and charitable support proceeds from each release support the artists’ selected charity or organization. Customers can also make donations to support each individual artist directly through the Giving Room website.

Before collaborating with Arts of Life, Giving Room produced a line of skateboard decks and apparel, with proceeds that would be used to buy new skate gear to donate. Robert and Ryan Marohn, two of the five staff members at Giving Room, traveled to India in February of 2018, and got to revamp some of the skateparks there. The kids of the Kovalam Skate Club, a school program in India, were the skaters that received new skateboards, helmets, and gear. The KSC has one simple, but important rule: No School, No Skating, which encourages kids to stay in school to get an education, instead of hanging out at the skate park or the streets all day.

Staying more local to the Chicago location for Giving Room, Arts of Life Chicago studio was the foundation’s next destination. They visited our workplace and met some of our artists. They got to take a tour around our studio, and see the spaces in which Arts of Life artists create their masterpieces. A Giving Room and Arts of Life photoshoot took place, displaying both artwork created by Giving Room artists, as well as a new merchandise line that directly benefits Arts of Life. The web-shop went live on September 13th, and offers a variety of different board decks, apparel options, and collectables.

John Cowart is the creator and owner of Cowply, which is a successful company that produces fingerboards. Fingerboards are miniature, working replicas of skateboards, that can be navigated by using one’s fingers. He is also the artist behind Giving Room’s new apparel and deck line, “John Cowart for Arts of Life”. John has always put creative energy and compassion into his work, which are two things that the Giving Room and Arts of Life value and incorporate in their missions as well. He admires Arts of Life, “for the opportunities they give to those who are looking to create and express themselves,” he told Giving Room, when talking about his interest in the teachings of artwork; both the act of creating art, and the product itself. Art and artwork can build leadership skills, professional development, as well as provide artistic fulfilment. Cowart and the rest of the Giving Room team support the artistic and creative approach that the Arts of Life takes, in order to provide their artists with the opportunities to become more independent and to realize their full potential.

Arts of Life is honored to be working with Giving Room, and is extremely grateful for the opportunity to tell the world more about our amazing artists and all of the hard work they put into their creative masterpieces. You can check out the “John Cowart for Arts of Life” line on the Giving Room web store, or through John Cowart’s Instagram page. All proceeds from the purchases from Cowart’s line will be donated to Arts of Life.

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