A message from George Rodrigue
Blue Dog Relief began following September 11th, 2001, when I created God Bless America in response to the tragic events of that day. I was surprised when the edition of 1,000 prints sold out in just a few weeks, raising $500,000 for the American Red Cross. This first project showed me how I could use my artwork to benefit causes important to me. It also showed me that our clients were interested in doing the same thing ---- obtaining commemorative and even political works that somehow expressed the feelings of many people, while raising much-needed funds for our community organizations.
On the second anniversary of September 11th, we tried again --- this time with a collaboration called Honesty. I combined the Blue Dog with images of peace by children from around the world and donated the proceeds to the International Child Art Foundation. In addition, I joined ICAF for their International Child Art Festival, creating a ‘Pyramid of Peace’ on the National Mall in Washington D.C. with children from one hundred countries and all fifty states. Together we expressed our understanding of art as the universal language of peace, and we raised nearly $400,000 towards continuing those efforts.
But it was following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in August 2005 that Blue Dog Relief jumped to the top of my priority list for more than two years. With the prints We Will Rise Again, Throw Me Something F.E.M.A., To Stay Alive We Need Levee 5, You Can’t Drown the Blues, Cut Through the Red Tape, We Are Marching Again, and a unique collaboration with the New Orleans Saints and Quarterback Drew Brees, we raised nearly $1,500,000 for organizations such as the Southeast Louisiana Chapters of the Red Cross and United Way, the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, the Chef Paul Prudhomme Katrina Fund, the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the International Rotary Club, and the Brees Dream Foundation. In addition, we donated (and continue to donate) hundreds of these prints to charity auctions and fund-raising efforts within the Gulf Coast community, raising thousands of dollars for post-Katrina recovery.
Although the Blue Dog Relief prints are sold out* for purposes of on-line or gallery purchase, we will continue (while supplies last) to make them available on occasion through various charitable organizations --- particularly on the Gulf Coast --- where they will raise funds directly for non-profits. When you see one at a charity auction or raffle, remember the rarity and uniqueness of the work, along with the spirit with which it was created, and give generously.
In the spirit of moving on, we are beginning 2008 by thanking all of you who purchased prints for Blue Dog Relief and who hang them in your homes and offices as reminders of our local, national, and international community’s resilience in times of crisis, and of your own generosity in having contributed during these times. Together we raised approximately $2.5 million dollars towards helping our world.
As to new prints for Blue Dog Relief, keep an eye on this site and join our mailing list. One day as before, a cause, a crisis, maybe even a dream will inspire me to create the next print, and I will again call on you to help me to make a difference.
With deepest appreciation,
George Rodrigue
February 3, 2008*Remarqued versions, featuring a small original sketch by Rodrigue, are available for some Blue Dog Relief prints.
For information, contact Rodrigue Studio. Please email info@georgerodrigue.com
