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In their first year, most businesses are more concerned with getting traction than giving back to the community. But Artifact Uprising (a local photo book creation service we introduced you to in our February issue) knows that Colorado’s wildfire victims need relief now—which is why the 10-month-old company isn’t waiting to lend a hand.
Inspired by the natural beauty sometimes lost to wildfires, Artifact Uprising has created a limited-edition wood block and print set ($21.99) that features a scored block—made locally out of beetle-kill pine by craftsman Corbin Clay’s Azure Furniture Company—and 12 stunning images of the Rocky Mountain West. All proceeds will benefit the American Red Cross Colorado Wildfire Fund.
“In all of the uncertainty that comes with wildfires, we wanted to create a sliver of beauty for those communities and the people who work so hard to protect them,” says Artifact Uprising co-founder Katie Thurmes. “And we knew it would take a community to do so.”
For the project’s print portion, Artifact Uprising reached out to its 14,000 Instagram followers and asked them to submit images of Colorado’s great outdoors they would be willing to share for wildfire relief. Hundreds of pictures poured in—“too many beautiful images to make the selection process easy, from every season and every corner of our state and the American West,” Thurmes says. “We are so inspired by the innate desire people have to contribute, to share beauty, to be a part of something.”
Now you, too, can contribute—and score a lovely, unique decor piece for a desk, bookshelf, or countertop in the process—by purchasing a set on Artifact Uprising’s website (available through September 3).
“We call the Rocky Mountains of Colorado home—and we believe that anyone who has ever floated one of our state’s canyons or skied a bluebird powder day would agree that these wild places inspire so much within us,” Thurmes says. “These are places where better decisions are more important than better profits. We’ve always hoped to create a company that can create channels to do good and inspire communities. This collaborative product is just a small start—but it’s a start, and one that celebrates the collective spirit of all those who love Colorado as much as we do.”
What’s next for Artifact Uprising? This fall, the company plans to launch a mobile app for iPhone users.
—Images Courtesy of Artifact Uprising
Follow copy chief Jessica Farmwald on Twitter at @JessicaKF.