Addy Flint, thirteen, founder of Raendrop Art, named after her grandmother. (Photo courtesy of Stacey Flint)
Alexandria, VA – A new art dealership hits Northern Virginia. The founder is generous, creative and wise beyond her age, but she can’t even drive a car yet. Addy Flint, the founder of the 501 © 3 nonprofit Raendrop Art, is a 13-year-old cancer survivor. After being hospitalized too many times, she goes on a mission to help other teens in similar situations.
“When I was in the hospital, there wasn’t much for the older kids to do,” says Flint, who was hospitalized first with kidney cancer when she was just five years old, then a second time when she was nine. “When you’re older, you can’t play with the baby blankets and doll houses. Even the TV channels were all children’s programs. So the second time I had to come up with things myself.”
This was when Flint ventured into the art therapy programs offered by INOVA in Fairfax.
Addy’s mother, Stacey Flint, says, “For her, art therapy at the hospital was pretty incredible. We had some great art therapists at Fairfax and INOVA so she did a lot of art with the therapists. She has always loved art and it has been a big part of her world.”
Flint’s art therapy was a one-to-one structure between therapist and patient, providing some scope for creativity. But now that Flint is in remission and out of the hospital, she wants to offer something more. Her company, Raendrop Art, will complement art therapy with structured arts and crafts, DIY projects, and virtual group meetings that will reach children outside the oncology unit.
These necklaces and earrings will be on sale on October 2 at the Raendrop Art booth at Art on the Avenue. All proceeds go directly to art boxes for children in the hospital. (Photos courtesy of Stacey Flint)
If you are a patient interested in Raendrop Art, you will receive a box packed with art supplies, accompanied by a pamphlet explaining the project and how to complete it. Participants can select the art project they wish to create from an assortment of available options that can be found online at raendropart.com.
Of course, filling the boxes requires art supplies and artistic ideas that come from artists. If you are an artist interested in contributing to Raendrop Art, you can visit raendropart.com and click the artist button. This will lead you to a page explaining your process: choose a project, write a stock list, film a tutorial.
The Flints buy all art supplies out of their own pockets. If you’re interested in supporting their cause, you can visit their booth at Art On The Avenue on October 2nd and buy their handmade jewelry – with proceeds going directly to Raendrop Art – or you can visit their raendropart.com and click Support .
Addy reminisces: “Ever since I was a kid, I had my little box of crayons, drew and made up my own games. I would create my own world. Art was always there for me.” Looking to the future, she wants to become an art therapist and help children heal through art.
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