I made this flag lift with a portion of the Declaration of Independence on July 3rd to have ready for July 4th, not knowing that a devastating flood would hit the Texas hill country in the early morning where my mother, friends, and other family live. The flood made national news, it's that bad. Many lives were lost.
 
My family and friends were not affected physically, but their communities will feel the aftermath of this historic natural disaster for a long time. 
 
I wanted to send a donation to help in any way I could and considered the options before choosing to give to the Dieteret Center in Kerrville, Texas. The facility is located near the Guadalupe River and has flood damage that has temporarily closed the center. From their website: 
Mission statement:
The mission of Dietert Center is to proactively support healthy aging by providing information, services, activities and rewarding volunteer opportunities that enhance the quality of life.
Vision:
Dietert Center is known as Kerr County’s indispensable resource and partner for making the journey of aging positive, enriching and exciting.
 
I chose to donate to them because they were a huge resource and support for me when my father's dementia first started drastically changing our lives. They were calm, informative, and deeply caring when I called multiple times a week figuring out how to help my family through the emotionally stressful final stages of his life. 
 
Though the flood caused personal damage to so many, I see in the Dietert Center a broader scope of need. They service the aging community of the county, a vulnerable population that needs this programing. I wanted to help get the center back up and running in any small way I could.
 
I went ahead and made the donation of $400 so the sale of this and the other benefit emulsion lifts combined will help pay back this donation. I'll use the remainder of all the sales to help pay for shipping, fees, etc. 
 
This piece is an original Polaroid emulsion lift I made using my Polaroid Lab. I wrote the most famous section of the Declaration of Independence along side it, a reminder of the vision for this country, but also so lyrically written, it's beautiful as a work of art. I sprayed the image with Hahnemuhle protective spray which will help protect it from moisture and UV light.