Metro Atlanta artist starts auction to help Hawaii rebuild after wildfires

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - A Metro Atlanta artist is calling on you to help assist families impacted by wildfires in Hawaii.

Stephanie Perry lost her business and all of her art when the wildfire hit Lahaina, Hawaii last month.

“I lost all of my art work. Every painting, every canvas painting that I have completed here burned,” Perry said.

Perry left Atlanta seven months ago, to start a new adventure.

“She went there and started over,” said Ashley Mitchell, Perry’s sister. “So, for her business to be taken away that she had just established but still wanted to give back to the community it means a big thing,” she said. “We found out that she lost her business which was at The Wharf down in the main part of Lahaina and from there, she started helping with the community, helping with the kids, doing as much as she possibly could just to lend a helping hand,” Mitchell said.

Perry said her biggest lost, is the relationships she built with the children under The Banyan Tree, where she drew caricatures and painted faces.

“What I really lost was sitting around and connecting with people. Like there’s a little boy out there who used to come out and see me every day and I don’t know if he’s alive or not,” Perry said.

Perry said at the end of the month some people there, could possibly be evicted from hotels and resorts after enduring the wildfires. It’s the reason she recently started an auction, in hopes of helping families rebuild their lives.

“I want to be able to raise enough money to do whatever needs to be done,” Perry said.

Mitchell said the auction bid is starting at $200 at www.letlahainaslightshine.com.

“Over the course of the auction, the artist will release photos of paintings that she created that burned in the Lahaina fires. This painting will be inspired by them, but not be a replication of any of them,” the website said.

The auction ends on Saturday, September 23rd.

“If it gets so big and there’s so many zeros behind it, then we will have to get a fund. We will have to get money managers, but we will get the money to the people who need it,” Perry said.

Perry said people can bid or give large or small, and it will help anyone who is struggling.

“From the waitress down at the beach house, to the people down the street at the park, who are being evicted. They have been denied for SNAP, for assistance,” Perry said. “This has a much bigger purpose, and it has nothing to do with me or the art, it is really showing the Aloha spirit that is really here in Hawaii,” she said.

Perry said she doesn’t want the history and culture to be erased. Kids in Lahaina are also helping her with the piece.

“To know if that many people were displaced or had to move off the islands, wow that’s a huge culture and teachings that would just be lost,” Perry said.

Mitchell hopes people across Metro Atlanta will help her sister with the endeavors.

“She’s wanting to do this to give back to the community. Whatever is raised off of this artwork that she is auctioning off will be given right back to Lahaina,” Mitchell said. “It’s all going right back to the community to lend a helping hand. Nothing is expected for her from that. She’s always been a giver, always wanted to help people,” she said. “It just touches my heart that my sister would want to do this,” Mitchell explained.

To learn more about Stephanie, click here.

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