The Macoupin Art Collective exists to foster creativity and fun for all. Our most important goal is getting art to local children. Every year, more and more K-12 schools are losing funding for their art and music programs. This is devastating. Fostering creativity in children allows them to find ways to express themselves. At The MAC we have learned that if a child is given a paintbrush and paint, they WILL paint. Some kids paint portraits of their families, pets, and hobbies. Some children express their anxieties and their fears. But ALL of them, paint SOMETHING. Artistic expression allows kids to create any world they can imagine.
Every year, we set aside a certain amount of our budget for local kiddo scholarships. These scholarships make it possible for ALL children, no matter their circumstances, to take classes with us. We don’t wish for any child to be denied access to art due to financial hardship. This year, we received an anonymous donation for $500 dedicated to our dearly departed friend Krista Schaefer. This generous donation inspired us to rebuild our scholarship program in her honor.
Krista was a good friend of several board members and our Executive Director, Brandace Cloud. In 2001, shortly after her 18th birthday, Krista and her grandmother (Marcella Schaefer, 81), were killed in a car accident. Krista was about to graduate from Gillespie High School and had planned to attend SIUE with a major in psychology. Her death was certainly a blow to her family, friends, and the local community. She was intelligent, talented, and absolutely hilarious.
We truly believe that Krista would have loved The MAC. Amongst so many other wonderful things, she was an artist, a writer, and a musician. She had a creative and playful spirit that we all miss dearly. And although it will have been 20 years since we lost her, we feel that her imagination and deep connection to her friends and family would be the perfect cornerstone for this scholarship program.
When we approached her family, they were overjoyed. When we asked how they pictured Krista in connection to art and children, several of them shared their memories. In the gallery below, you will find some of their lovely thoughts and images they provided in her honor.
