Raising Awareness and Hope for Individuals Living with Mental and Physical Challenges
Amy Kerr is a remarkable pastel portrait painter who has developed her talent for portraying the unique essence of her subjects enveloped in a soft and gentle atmosphere. Her art reflects the inherent poetic beauty of the human spirit.
The artist lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts. I first became aware of her artwork when she submitted her entries to the Manhattan Arts International “The Healing Power of ART” exhibition. Her unerring skills captivated me immediately. She is included in the show and I selected her to receive an Award of Excellence. I also chose her to win a Special Recognition Art Award and be a Featured Artist on this website for work as founder of the “I Am More” project. It raises awareness and hope for those who live with special challenges. I am delighted and proud to induct Amy Kerr into our series about “World Changers”.
Amy Kerr has always had a passion for drawing portraits. She tells us, what interests her most in creating a portrait “is capturing moments of pure joy and love.” Rather than work from live sessions which can be strenuous and unnatural for the sitter and herself, she prefers to work from candid photos as this allows her to refer to images “full of personality and honesty.”
When the artist submitted her art to the Manhattan Arts International competition she shared this statement: “I founded a project called ‘I Am More’ that depicts individuals living with mental and physical challenges, accompanied by an essay written by the subject about all the ways they are more than their struggles. The pastel and colored pencil portraits are exhibited with the essays in public spaces such as hospitals, libraries, food pantries and treatment centers.”
Amy Kerr has transformed her blog amykerrdrawsportraits.wordpress.com into an uplifting respite where one finds her beautiful art, plus hope and inspiration. Her extraordinary pastel paintings and colored pencil drawings are accompanied by the stories behind the people she brings to life with dignity and respect.
The artist overcame her own personal challenges to bring healing to others through her art. As she wrote in her blog post on November 4, 2018, “Since January of 2017, when I got off the couch and started drawing, the purpose of “I Am More” has been to remind people (and myself) that we are more than our mental struggles.”
Kerr has continued to reach thousands of people through her important mission of “I Am More”. She explains. “Thirteen organizations and businesses have opened their spaces to these portraits and stories for the benefit of their clients and patrons. Six people told their stories live in front of a standing-room only audience.”
“I Am More” has received positive responses from many viewers of the installations. As Marcia Hubbard, Business/Human Resources Manager of The Open Door Food Pantry and Community Supper remarked, “Having these touching portraits hung in our food pantries and meal programs provided access to this meaningful exhibit to almost 8,000 vulnerable clients in a community setting.”
You Can Help Amy Kerr and Her “I Am More” Project
Amy Kerr inspires us all to do something to get outside our comfort zones and take positive action. She states, “Jumping into the creative pool is scary, but sometimes you just have to get out of your own way.”
Ocean Alliance is the fiscal sponsor for Amy Kerr’s “I Am More” project. It accepts tax-deductible donations so that “I Am More” can continue to help individuals with mental and physical challenges. Any amount of any size is appreciated. Amy Kerr reminds us, “The headlines in our local and national papers are a reminder that we need messages of hope, healing and community now more than ever. I can’t do this without help, so thank you for making ‘I Am More’ possible.”
Visit this page to learn how you can help.
Visit Amy Kerr’s blog at amykerrdrawsportraits.wordpress.com
Visit Manhattan Arts International.
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I was moved to tears by the stories and the amazing portraits. Wonderful!
Amazing portraits.
Hi Amy,
I am a licensed Mental Health Counselor from Boston, located in Saelm and work closely with Addison Gilbert’s Addiction Discover program. I saw your pieces in my colleagues office recently……breathtaking. Not only would some of my clients like to be able to reach out to you, but there were a couple of pieces I’d like to inquire about purchasing. Is this an option yet? Or ever? Or do they go back to the subject? A fabulously brilliant show.
Thanks for What You’ve Created!
Meghan Sasso
These beautiful artworks display a profound understanding of, and caring for, every person’s ability and/or disability.