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Tyler, Kendra, and their cat Noel left their careers in the fashion industry as a footwear designer and a women’s retail buyer in order to expand the reach and impact of [HAS HEART] and its HERO[series] collaborative design process.
Since July 2017, they’ve been traveling state-to-state to partner a Veteran with a graphic designer in all fifty states. Explore the entire “50 States: Veterans + Artist United“ project and follow their progress on Instagram.
STATE 15: Miami, Florida, U.S.A.
DESIGN TITLE: L’Union
VETERAN: Darrel Charles, U.S. Navy
ARTIST: Brittany Ballinger
SPONSOR: Available
DESIGN MEANING: L’UNION
Inspired by the Haitian flag and its message of strength in unity, the Kintsugi art of repairing broken pottery with gold, and the intent of dazzle camouflage to stand out rather than blend in, U.S. Navy Veteran Darrel Charles and graphic designer Brittany Ballinger collaborated to create the design “L’Union.” Proud of his Haitian heritage, Darrel shared with Brittany the motto from the country’s coat of arms: “L’union fait la force,” meaning, “unity makes strength.”
While serving on the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), he appreciated the teamwork aboard yet longed for a way to creatively express himself. Years after returning home, Darrel overcame homelessness with the help of the Florida organization “Operation Sacred Trust.” Now in school for sound engineering, Darrel hopes to use the mediums of video, music, and massage therapy to provide a means of healing and support for others.
Ultimately, Darrel and Brittany added a touch of gold to the design to highlight the beauty in brokenness just as the Japanese art of Kintsugi does, hoping to translate the inner peace found through acceptance and healing.
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PROJECTS
“Without their sacrifice, there is no freedom of…”
AIRSTREAM X [HAS HEART]
/0 Comments/in 50 STATES, HAS HEART, NEWS, PRODUCTS /by HAS HEARTAfter living nearly two years on the road in one, [HAS HEART] is proud to partner with Airstream for some exclusive “50 States” tour inspired designs. Proceeds from your purchase will help [HAS HEART] complete our nationwide mission to give a Veteran their creative voice in all fifty states in the U.S.
VETERANS DAY 2019
/0 Comments/in EVENTS, HAS HEART, NEWS /by HAS HEART[HAS HEART] celebrated Veterans Day with a long weekend’s worth of events and local partnerships. We opened a temporary pop-up shop in the building we’ve hosted numerous ArtPrize exhibits in years past at 22 Sheldon Ave NE, which included a special coffee tasting experiment and annoucement.
NEW! STICKER DECALS
/0 Comments/in 50 STATES, HAS HEART, NEWS, PRODUCTS /by HAS HEART[HAS HEART] is excited to launch the “50 States: Veterans + Artists United” project designs from each state in sticker decal format with the help and support of New York-based Sticker Mule. Each of the Veteran and artist designs are now available in custom die-cut vinyl stickers that are durable and protected from scratches, water, and sunlight.
Failure Lab: Saugatuck
/0 Comments/in EVENTS, HAS HEART, NEWS /by HAS HEARTThis Saturday, September 21, at 7:30PM at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts, our co-Founder and Executive Director, Michael Hyacinthe will be sharing a piece of his story as part of the Failure Lab speaker series.
CONFERENCE KEYNOTE SPEECH
/0 Comments/in EVENTS, HAS HEART, NEWS /by HAS HEARTRecently, our Co-Founder and Creative Director, Tyler Way had the opportunity to share [HAS HEART] and the 50 States: Veterans + Artists United at the annual National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) Veterans Conference in Washington D.C. in front of over 500 Veterans representing 49 states and the U.S. territories.