volunteer spotlight

Every so often, fresh art likes to feature one of our many generous volunteers. This month, we would like you to meet Roberta Ehrenberg.



What is your name? Roberta "Bart" Ehrenberg
Where do you live? Just south of West Palm Beach
What is your profession? I’m retired. Nursing was my first career, being a mom was my second, and then I became a professional photographer. I did a lot of children's photography.
How long have you been a fresh art volunteer? About a year.
What type of volunteer work do you do for fresh art? I make sock monkeys. A friend and I were visiting New York and we came to a Monday night sewing circle to learn how to make them. Then I orchestrated a sock monkey-making party with women I met going to the pool in the retirement community where I live. Around Chirstmas time, I sold a lot of the sock monkeys we had made to my neighbors so they could give them as gifts to their grandchildren. Now I make sock monkeys by myself, especially during the football season when my husband is watching TV!
What is your favorite thing about making sock monkeys for fresh art? I really love going out and hunting for bright-colored socks at the dollar store. It's also a fun way to meet people. I was on a cruise recently and I was sitting by the pool, making a sock monkey. A woman came up to me to ask what I was doing. It attracts a lot of attention.
Do you have any other hobbies? I make jewelry. I use very brightly colored opaque glass to make beads, and then I string them into bracelets and necklaces.

Thanks for the great work you do, Roberta!

happy new year!

2010 is off to a great start! Over the holidays, fresh art received an anonymous donation of $235. We wondered who the good fairy was who so generously gave to the organization. As it turns out, the donation came to us courtesy of 24 fairies... the 8-year-olds from Sara Greenfield's third grade class at PS 321 in Brooklyn. (Sara has been volunteering with fresh art since 2007.)

Sara and all of us at fresh art are very touched by this generous and thoughtful gift by the students and their parents. This contribution will be so helpful to fresh art during these difficult funding times.

Thank you so much to fresh art's many supporters who responded so generously to our year end appeal. We wish you all the best in 2010!

sock monkeys on anthropologie.com!

We have some exciting news to share: fresh art's famous sock monkeys are available on anthropologie.com this holiday season.

For $30, you can order a "surprise sock monkey" for yourself or as a gift for a friend. The folks at Anthropologie will select a monkey just for you, and the proceeds will benefit fresh art. Supplies are limited, so act quickly to participate in the Anthropologie sock monkey grab bag!

volunteer spotlight

Every so often, we like to highlight some of our organzation's wonderful volunteers. This month, we're happy to introduce you to Elizabeth Walker.



What is your name? Elizabeth Walker
Where do you live? Lititz, Pennsylvania in a cottage in a retirement home.
What is your profession? I’m retired, though previously I was a dental hygenist, I owned a bed and breakfast, and I owned a men’s tie business where I sold handmade wool ties.
How long have you been a fresh art volunteer? About a year or two.
What type of volunteer work do you do for fresh art? I began by knitting and crocheting hats and scarves for the sock monkeys for about a year, and then Executive Director Suzanne Kreps (who is also my cousin) asked me to work on some monkeys that were not finished. We call it “the monkey hospital.” Now I’ve made at least 50 sock monkeys from scratch.
What is your favorite thing about volunteering with fresh art? I really enjoy doing it. I’m kind-of homebound and I gave up my car and I’m a little stuck here, so I can really say that monkeys are doing me more good than I’m doing the monkeys. The very day I learned I had a health problem, Suzanne [Kreps] called to say "I’m sending you monkeys." It was very providential that I got involved in it. I just have a lot of fun, and they make me laugh. And anyone who comes in here and sees the monkeys laughs, too.
Do you have any other hobbies? I garden and I really love to cook. I do a lot of creative cooking. I’m a designer. I did interiors for a while. I also like to read a lot, and I’m very involved with my library here.

sock monkeys at the atlantic antic!

On Sunday, Octber 4, fresh art sold sock monkeys and sock monkey holiday cards at the 35th annual Atlantic Antic street festival in Brooklyn. To buy your own monkey or a box of 20 unique holiday cards, check out fresh art's virtual gift shop. And keep an eye out for our holiday cards in Barnes and Noble stores this fall!

CommUnity Exhibition at the Gallery at HAI

On Thursday, September 17, fresh art hosted an opening reception for "CommUnity" at The Gallery at HAI, located at 548 Broadway on the third floor. Many of the artists were there to enjoy the festivities, and we're posting a few photos of some the artists with their works. The exhibition runs through October 16, so if you haven't had a chance to see it yet, we encourage you to stop by to check it out! You can also view the exhibition online in the fresh art Artist's Gallery.

fresh art's annual special event is a huge success!

On Tuesday, June 16, fresh art hosted our annual special event and fundraiser at the Bowery Wine Company in Manhattan. Guests participated in a silent auction and went home with very good goodie bags! Special thanks to the Bowery Wine Company for donating the fantastic space, and to all of our sponsors. Thank you so much to all of fresh art's friends and supporters for attending. We had a great time and hope to see you again next year! Check out our photo gallery for some fantastic pics from the event.