Meet Our Founder
Deborah Marcks Spork
Founder & CEO
The mission of Easel Street Alliance will always remain the same:
- Harnessing the power and creativity of the art world, in collaboration with the generosity of patrons, to support the rescue and recovery of animals in distress.
- Dedicated to helping animals through the toughest times and the Rescue and Rehabilitation Organizations that support them.
- Encouraging the advancement of the visual arts and nurturing an environment that supports artists.
Thank you for joining us in The Art of Giving. Your purchase gives a helping paw to animal rescue and rehabilitation organizations, helping animals with fur, feather, flipper and fin during disasters and challenging times. Also, thank you for supporting the artists that have worked so hard to bring joy, hope and color to the world.
Deborah Marcks Spork, CEO
Easel Street Alliance is organized exclusively for charitable purposes under section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, Tax ID# 88-2983080. All donations are tax deductible. Financial records available upon request.
What a creative way to help others!
If you'd like to donate directly, please use the link below.
How Your Contributions Help
Many original artworks featured on ESA's online gallery are also available in the Merch Shop. When you display your artwork purchase or carry your exclusive merchandise, you are supporting ESA's mission!
You Support Visual Artists
What would the world look like without art? Artists typically have an upward climb with only
10% of those graduating, with an art major, are able to make a living through their art. To most
artists, creating art is a passion, but why should supporting themselves be such a pipe dream.
ESA was created to help support the visual artist and each purchase helps them realize their
dream.
You Support Multiple Charities
Through The Art of Giving, ESA supports the Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation organizations, IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare. Moreover, various U.S. animal rescue and rehabilitation nonprofits will be included on a rotational basis and will be showcased during their funding periods.
As an artist, patron, donor or volunteer, your contribution to ESA is a much needed helping hand towards realizing this goal.
Charities Supported
International Fund for Animal Welfare
IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare) is a global
leader in animal rescue and emergency care. Since 1969, IFAW has provided hands-on assistance to and protection of animals in need, impacting their health, well-being and survival.
Additionally, ESA will partner with other U.S. animal rescue and rehabilitation nonprofits, on a rotational basis, and they will be showcased during that time.
ESA's Origin Story
I guess you could say a horse named Charlie was the founder of ESA. If he hadn’t knocked his rider off, she wouldn’t have had a head injury that kept her from working as an ER nurse. The head injury did a little damage here and there and somehow opened up a pathway that was never before explored. She found art. Not the art rehab kind of art. Not the take lessons and learn. Picking up paper, she began drawing, first with charcoal, then with color pencils. She must have been pretty good, because even though she had never painted a day in her life, she got a commission to do a painting in acrylic. The customer loved it. Who knew? Thanks Charlie!
So, here is where ESA came to be. In the Spring of 2022, she was doing a painting, with the idea of selling prints and giving the money to support Ukraine. Once the painting was done, she told her son what her plans were. His reply was, “Why don’t you do that with all your paintings.”
And the wheels began turning. “Why not do that with all my paintings, and why can’t other artists be involved, and why not make it for man-made conflict and natural disasters and without a timeline.” It was a bit of a run on sentence in her thoughts, but the plans for ESA evolved with a lot of research. The need for funding for disaster relief was an absolute must and an unfortunate necessity. Finding out that only 10% of artists, graduating with an art major, can support themselves through art and the typical commission charged artists is 40-50%, it was determined that artists needed some help. Artisans were found to have a limited market for their artwork, as many online and brick and mortar galleries don’t accept their work.
It was decided if ESA had a 20% donation from the artist after a sale, with no commissions, we could help the creative economy for U.S. artists and artisans. ESA could link artists and collectively all artists and art collectors could work towards supporting the mission of disaster relief.
Easel Street Alliance (ESA) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, year-round, online marketplace where U.S. artists and artisans can showcase and sell original, one-of-a-kind, artwork while supporting humanitarian and disaster response organizations.
Direct Relief, Doctors Without Borders, and IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare) are the charities ESA is supporting. The relevance of these charities might change as time goes on and get replaced, or we might add others to what is listed, but these decisions will be decided by the Easel Street Alliance Board of Directors and any changes will always be posted on the ESA website, www.esacharityart.org.