West Lafayette artist donating art proceeds to help hundreds in community

West lafayette artist is helping benefit hundreds in need.

Atossa (rah- maw-nee-far) is giving 100- percent of her art proceeds to two non-profits in greater lafayette.

While she made this decision months before the pandemic, news 18's micah upshaw shows us how her exhibit is more beneficial now than ever.

: a: each painting was an adventure and that's all that mattered to me, just paint, paint, paint, paint, and what happens to it, we'll find out.

M: what atossa rahmanifar, was not expecting to find out is that her passion for painting is now benefiting more lives than she ever imagined.

K: any donation's raised are going to be so useful for us at this time, we're still fighting the covid pandemic, we're still seeing an increase in demand.

M: kier crites is the chief engagement officer for food finders food bank.

She says they're looking at serving more than twice as many people as food insecurity increases amid the pandemic.

K: we're planning for the long hall and trying to keep up with that so we really appreciate atossa thinking of us and choosing us, there's so many great non-profits in town.

M: rahmanifar's decision to donate to food finders wasn't so random.

Outside of painting she works as a nutritionist, that's why food security is particularly close to her heart.

A: if my show, in a very small way can help with that, then that's all that matters and it makes my paintings and this show much more meaningful to me.

Nats ks: when she said 'oh, i'm going to donate all the proceeds to my paintis, i thought, oh that's really nice,' i think probably usually -- a couple of painting sell so that would be really great.

No, she's got all kinds of support here.

M: kendall smith works as the executive director of the art museum of greater lafayette.

Not only is rahmanifar's art exhibit being displayed here, the money her art makes will go right back into supporting the museum.

Ks: it's going to help support the operations of the art museum, it's a stressful situation for us financially so this is going to be an awesome help for us.

A: it was everything about painting it was very, very engaging and interesting to me but, this to be a side benefit it can't get any better than that.

M: rahmanifar has already raised more than 25-thousand dollars so far, which will be split evenly between the two non-profits.

Reporting in greater lafayette, micah upshaw, news 18.

The exhibit is called from mystery to mirage.

You can register to see the free gallery in person or through a virtual tour.

You can find that information on our website wlfi.com.