Long Beach’s Jared Aufrichtig has made a career of exploring his creativity and turning it into some form of philanthropic work. In the past, that’s involved work like hosting creative workshops and working directly with underserved youths in different parts of the world, coordinating and organizing pop-up galleries, and often auctioning work in fundraising efforts for a handful of charities near and dear to him.
“Dadaists believed that the value of art lay not in the work produced but in the act of making and collaborating with others to create new visions of the world,” he says.
With that in mind, his latest project literally culminated in the shape of an eco-surfboard made of recycled foam, a piece titled “A Change Is Gunna Come.”
It “was created to do some good,” he says of the board he made with master shaper Jon Wegener. “With all this craziness the past few months, I wanted to help some of the charities I’ve been working with.”
So, with an image from his “Water and Light” series on the deck — a project he’s been shooting for more than 10 years now — and a black and white photo he took while working with Waves 4 Development in Africa, Aufrichtig launched a silent auction in which the proceeds of the eco-art board will be donated to a handful of ocean, eco, and socially-relevant charities around the world.
“I greatly appreciate collaboration and how together, you are able to create something special that an individual can not. Working with charities for many years now, I’ve started to adapt these experiences into my art and utilize it more in my work.”
Editor’s Note: The silent auction will be held through August 15 via direct messaging on Instagram. The proceeds will benefit these five amazing charities:
