INTERVIEW: Kelly Wagner, the Kindness Collective
How a group of Milwaukee artists are changing the world with kindness
A group of Kohl's coworkers gathered together to raise money for nonprofits as part of their kindness initiative. Calling themselves the “Kindness Collective,” this admirable group of artists in the Milwaukee area created artwork that complements that title. Each campaign creator then selected a different nonprofit that also prompts kindness and compassion to receive the funds. Some of those organizations include COURAGE Mke, Hope House of Milwaukee, and FORGE.
Founded in goodness, the Kindness Collective is dedicated to design for good. This group of artists embodies that goal by not taking a single penny of the proceeds raised. That’s right — 100% of the funds will be donated to charity.
All 10 designs are offered in a wide range of colors, products, and styles. Collectively the artwork showcases a sense of hope, kindness, and humanity. Between the text and visuals, the artwork displays components that strive to make you think. There’s the catchy, “Keep MKE Kind,” which effortlessly rolls of the tongue. On the other hand, there’s a Harry Potter influenced design titled the “Magical Knitting Circle” featuring the one and only, Albus Dumbledore.
We reached out to Kelly Wagner to learn more about why they are advocating for kindness in the community and how this idea came to be.
Read the full interview below!
We love the idea of group fundraising, especially uniting your coworkers to do good outside of work. What sparked your idea for this collective effort?
Because of the current political climate, we had been discussing our concerns about non-profit organizations who are already struggling to make ends meet potentially losing some — or all — of their funding sources. Since we are all artists, we decided to use this platform to not only voice our opinions on various topics, but also to raise money for the organizations who are all fighting the good fight.
How did you decide the name, “Kindness Collective?” And what does it mean to you?
Our name evolved out of a brainstorming session where we were all discussing ideas of what we wanted the group to stand for. We wanted a name that was simple and carried a basic message about how we believe people should act/ deserve to be treated. We think that the simple act of just being kind is so important and often overlooked, so Kindness Collective seemed like the right choice.
The proceeds from each individual design are being donated to a different nonprofit. How did everyone decide where the funds were going to?
Each person selected a non-profit that they believed has a mission statement that supports the sentiment of the artwork that they created. Some Artists had local organizations that they were already involved with that they wanted to support, while others thought it was important to support organizations that are doing work on a national level.
Tell us a little bit about the people in the collective. Who are they? What common interests do you all share?
The people in the collective are all artists currently living in Milwaukee. They come from a variety of backgrounds, but all share a passion for creating art and for using it as a positive force.
Interested in supporting their giving initiative? Visit their collection here.
