This fundraiser is to support my father, Richard C. Thomas, a retired public school teacher of 40+ years and a lifetime artist, leader, and mentor in New Orleans, LA, in fundraising to restore and renovate his art gallery, which was recently broken into, vandalized, robbed, and destroyed by an unknown group of people. I wanted to share his message regarding the incident:

"Dear friends and supporters,

As many of you know, I have dedicated my life to art, teaching, and mentoring young artists in our community through my art gallery. The journey hasn't been easy, especially following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, which took a heavy toll on my artwork and the gallery itself. I was finally preparing to reopen the gallery after years of teaching and rebuilding when I discovered that it had suffered severe vandalism.

This setback has been incredibly challenging, both emotionally and financially. I realize now that I need the support of the community that has always stood by me. I’m reaching out to ask for your help to restore the gallery—a place that means so much to all of us. The Visual Jazz Art Gallery has been a home for creativity, a space where young talents have been nurtured and inspired through my youth organization, Pieces of Power.

To move forward, I plan to organize a community cleanup and a fundraiser to help cover the costs of repairs and revitalize the gallery. Your support would mean the world to me, whether you volunteer, share resources, purchase my art or merch via my website, contact me, or make a donation.

Thank you for considering this request and for being part of this journey. Together, we can restore a space that has brought so much light and creativity into our lives.

With gratitude,

New Orleans artist Richard C. Thomas"

Link to purchase artwork or merch

Below are a few images of some of the damage, but the total damage is unfortunately more extensive throughout the building.