Rummage around in your pantry and your closet this season—chances are you’ll find more than enough stuff to land you the sweet new painting your best friend (or your dining room wall) has been wishing for. Donations for Creations, a subset of Noah Scalin’s Design Rebels graphic design class at VCU, will be slinging the artsy goods in many different media on Saturday, November 22; all you have to do is pack up a bag of items to donate to their chosen cause, the Daily Planet. Does helping out an organization that provides free food, supplies and health care to the homeless sound like a good thing to do at Christmas?  Um, yeah. Here’s a quick guide to what to bring (please find the full list on the Donations for Creations blog, donatecreate.blogspot.com):
Clothing, equipment and book donations don’t have to be newly purchased, but hygienic and food items should be. There are many more things on the list that you might happen to have in your basement, so be sure to check the blog for the Daily Planet’s specific needs.
 
Donations for Creations is VCU students’ (Rachel Gropper and Kelly Gasque) answer to Scalin’s socially conscious project challenge, now co-organized by a team including themselves and five other classmates. They’ve set it up like this: “Art will be traded for goods on a first come first serve basis. The size of donations will be decided by two or three event hosts at the entrance to the event. Donors will receive a color coded Donation Paper that correlates to the size of your donation. Find a piece of art that you like with the same color sticker as your Donation Paper and you can take that art home with you.”
 
With more than 15 artists donating multiple pieces, music scheduled in the latter part of the day, snacks, drinks, and just plain good cheer, Donations for Creations promises to be a fun event. Get to the first floor of 1509 West Main Street (a VCU building) between 2 and 8 PM on Saturday to take part. If you just can’t make it this weekend, don’t forget about Foodist Colony in December, Thanky’s similar month-long event over on the Brook Road stretch of the Art Walk.

http://www.donatecreate.blogspot.com