Advocates of Change to Launch Columbus Chapter

Advocates of Change to Launch Columbus Chapter…
By: Cam Elkins
In an age where funding for the arts is being cut down almost as fast as governments and corporations are cutting down trees, now more than ever people are stepping up and putting their foot down for change.

Our lives may only last for a brief glimpse of time… Our actions, however, our actions create a ripple that echoes on into infinity…
The original ripple of Advocates of Change came from co-founders Kevin O’Neil and Casey Papp in 2014. Five years, (and over a hundred thousand dollars later,) AoC is still going strong, driving the ever-elusive feeling of “hope” throughout music communities all around the country.
We all know that we are going to die, so then, honestly, what exactly is hope? As the world’s leaders light up their cigars amidst expensive golf trips and steak dinners, fires in forests around the world rage on…
So ask yourself, what really is hope?
Hope is a Native American tribe, passionately dancing through the night as they pray to the God’s of rain in the middle of a burning down rainforest. Hope is found in the colors and textures that the artist uses to paint his passions onto the grey canvas of cloudy corporate America. Hope is when you’re hunched over the toilet getting sick at a concert, and an anonymous stranger brings you a cold bottle of water. Hope is the beating heart of art activism, standing humbly and defiantly at the Advocates of Change booth.
Founded as a kind of “art collective” in 2014, AoC is a 501-c3 not-for-profit dedicated to nurturing the environment and empowering society through education, inclusive action, music, and the arts… and now they are expanding to Columbus. By vending donated art and organizing art raffles at shows, AoC adds an extra element to the music scene that adds a great deal of hope and meaning to the lives of artists and music fans alike.
Hope can have no end goal. Motivated by a brighter tomorrow, hope itself can only be found in how we choose to live today. Hope has to do with how we value our collective fleeting moments. It isn’t something we put on our Christmas wish list for Santa… hope is how we live. Hope is the result of life itself carrying meaning.
Nothing could ever carry more meaning than Earth’s transcendental web of life. No thing is as essential as the remarkably intelligent natural world that is currently going through a bit of an identity crisis. By vending art and organizing art raffles at shows, AoC allows each chapter to select a local beneficiary for their efforts to go towards. The Columbus chapter will give the central Ohio music and arts community an easy and efficient way to support reforestation by planting trees in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Through partnering with Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park , and Natural Ohio, environmental stewardship has never been as accessible as it is now.
“The Cuyahoga Valley is one of the most historic areas for environmental conversation in America. 50 years ago the Cuyahoga River set on fire and the community sparked the environmental movement in response,” explained Patrick Stepanek, founder and CEO of Natural United. “[CVNP] is a separate organization from the National Parks, dedicated to providing the people with an opportunity to give back and restore local ecosystems. The price of trees vary based on species, but they are generally $27 each. Within a year, each tree will generate 250+ pounds of oxygen.”
Advocates of Change has now begun bringing hope and meaning to the Columbus, and is always looking for art lovers, volunteers, and artists themselves to help support the mission. Don’t be shy! Click here to get involved with Advocates of Change.