Product Overview
About the Artwork:
Into the Unknown is a piece picturing a young boy walking into the mysteries of the universe, alone with nothing but the clothes on his back and a small bag that contains all of his possessions. For me, this is what it feels like to initially be out into foster care, or even a new placement within the system. It's a truly terrifying experience, not knowing what youre being placed into. Even when current situations are less than idea, the devil you know is better than the devil you don't. On the flip side of that coin, there's an ever-present feeling of hope that the next situation will be better than the last. The possibilities are as endless as the stars, and only time will tell if we're placed somewhere that will lead us to a brighter future.
About the Artist:
My name is Beza (Bay-zuh), I'm 25 years old and I live in Colorado. I'm a single mother to the sweetest four-year-old boy. I'm currently in school for my Bachelor's in Cyber Security and Informative Assurance. I've been an advocate for foster youth since I was 16 years old, first joining the Youth Leadership and Advisory Council of El Paso County for 2 years, then after that, mentoring young girls at one of the group homes in Colorado Springs. I've been a painter and lover of art my entire life, and I believe art is the deepest form of expression, saying things that can't be put into words. I'm participating in this project as part of the healing journey that I have found myself on, and in that, analyzing the childhood wounds that I was forced to bury as a coping mechanism.
This shirt is embroidered on the front and digitally printed on the back.
Each Fostering Creativity shirt has been inspired by youth art submission and creatively adapted for t-shirt presentation. To view the originals and hear from the artists community members can attend the Showcase Event on September 28th, 2023.
Fostering Creativity is a public awareness campaign that seeks to empower those who have experienced foster care to share their perspective with the world. It is the voices of those who have actually experienced foster care and adoption that are the most important. Fostering Creativity aims to empower these youth to raise awareness about foster care through the power of art.
Right now, there are more than 8,000 youth in Massachusetts foster care and hundreds of them have no permanent family. Their voices are often unheard. We want to change that. We hope you will join us #SpeakUpforAdoption by supporting the creativity and unique voices of these kids.
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T-shirts are a dime a dozen, but this one stands out from the pack. It’s super soft, breathable, and has just the right amount of stretch. Need we say more?
• 100% combed and ring-spun cotton (Heather colors contain polyester)
• Fabric weight: 4.2 oz/yd² (142 g/m²)
• Pre-shrunk fabric
• Side-seamed construction
• Shoulder-to-shoulder taping
• Blank product sourced from Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mexico, Honduras, or the US
This product is made especially for you as soon as you place an order, which is why it takes us a bit longer to deliver it to you. Making products on demand instead of in bulk helps reduce overproduction, so thank you for making thoughtful purchasing decisions!