The Brave of Heart Fund and Arthouse NYC present the Hero Art Project, an exhibit of portraits honoring healthcare workers who have died while fighting Covid-19.

New York Life | September 29, 2021

NEW YORK — The Brave of Heart Fund® (the Fund) and ARTHOUSE.NYC today present The Hero Art Project, a public art installation that features 29 rotating portraits of healthcare workers who have died while fighting COVID-19. The portraits, each painted by a different artist, will appear displayed in five windows on the ground floor at the southeast corner of the iconic New York Life Building (51 Madison Avenue, New York City) from September 27th to October 25th. The heroes’ stories are told along with their portraits and more information on those who are featured is available here.

The Hero Art Project honors healthcare workers and volunteers who gave their lives saving the lives of others. The Hero Art Project paired members of ARTHOUSE.NYC’s artistic community with family members of healthcare workers to create portraits of these heroes to celebrate their lives, sacrifices and legacies. Each family was able to select the artist and art style that they feel most represents the spirit of their loved one. Some of the portraits in the exhibit feature families who have also received a charitable grant from the Fund.

“The Hero Art Project helps the public learn more about the courageous and selfless frontline healthcare workers who have died from COVID-19,” said Heather Nesle, President of the New York Life Foundation. “We want people to be able to see the faces of those individuals who passed, to commemorate them and honor the loved ones they left behind. We are also committed to continuing to spread the word about the Brave of Heart Fund so those families who have been impacted can get the financial assistance they deserve, and we encourage them all to apply for a grant from the Fund.”

“We wanted to give back to the heroic communities that have been on the frontlines, hence The Hero Art Project was conceived, featuring artists from around the world,” said Susannah Perlman, ARTHOUSE.NYC curator. “This public tribute is especially poignant as many of the families were not allowed to have public funerals and the physical comfort of many of their loved ones during the lockdown. It is our hope that the art will convey the human lives and stories behind the statistics.”

The Brave of Heart Fund, created by the foundations of New York Life and Cigna, provides charitable grants and emotional support services to surviving families of healthcare workers lost to COVID-19. Administered by E4E Relief, the Fund has already granted more than $20 million to nearly 600 families. While the loss of a loved one is immeasurable, the Fund hopes to ease the financial burden these families face by providing charitable grants up to $75,000. Eligibility is open to the families of doctors, nurses, technicians, cleaning staff and anyone else who worked in a medical facility or for a licensed medical provider and who passed away as a result of their workplace exposure to the virus. The Fund is accepting applications through December 31, 2021.

The Brave of Heart Fund has received more than 1,000 applications from families across 43 states, including Washington, D.C., and has provided nearly 900 awards to over 600 unique grantees. The Fund’s application deadline is December 31, 2021.

About The Brave of Heart Fund

The Brave of Heart Fund® was established to provide monetary grants to eligible family members of frontline healthcare workers and healthcare volunteers who lose their lives because of COVID-19. The cash grant awards will provide financial support for common needs, such as funeral costs, medical care, counseling, food, educational expenses of children and other dependents currently in school, mortgage or rent payments, and immediate living expenses, as these family members manage the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and begin to move forward. For those eligible, The Fund currently is taking grant applications at www.braveofheartfund.com.

About ARTHOUSE.NYC.

ARTHOUSE.NYC is a digital art gallery and international art collective, devoted to all things artistic, colorful and larger than life in one of the greatest cities in the world. ARTHOUSE.NYC is dedicated to supporting emerging artists by creating colorful events in NYC and across the US to inspire and heal. ARTHOUSE.NYC has also hosted and produced exhibits and special events from numerous non-profits and arts organizations, including International Center of Photography, Race Forward, Wings Worldquest, 5 Boro Bike Tour, NYC Marathon, Yale University, United Nations International School, NYFW, The International iPhoneography Show, Land Art Generator Initiative, Sing A New Light, Red Dot Miami, Global Fund For Widows, Camp NFT, Superfine and numerous group shows. For more information, please visit www.arthouse.nyc. To support The Hero Art Project or to request a portrait or more information, please visit: heroartproject.com.

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