Support WizArts' European Dream: Save the Magick!

Hello everyone,

We are reaching out to you with a humble and urgent request. My partner, Attila Borbás and I, Melinda Puhó are artists who have been making a living working as full-time artists through our art business, WizArts. We currently find ourselves at a critical juncture in our lives, facing significant life-changing events and we need your help and support to move back to Europe.

Our Story

We built WizArts over six years (excluding the pandemic) from the ground up. Our journey in the United States began in 2010 in New York. It was a very challenging time. Since our European college degrees weren't recognized, we took on any work we could find, from providing elderly care to cleaning apartments. Meanwhile, I, a classically trained pianist and professional musician, also had a few piano students.

Attila's initial experiences were particularly challenging. For half a year, he worked for an Orthodox Jewish family in a secluded part of a small town near New York, caring for an elderly man with dementia. The man would wake up every two hours at night, confused and disoriented, demanding to be taken out of bed, dressed, and escorted to pray. This routine was physically and mentally exhausting, as the man was heavy, unable to stand on his own, and very rude. Despite Attila's dedication, the family did not provide him with enough food, forcing him to steal from the fridge at night just to get by. Despite these numerous hurdles and extreme challenges, he persevered.

After a few months, Attila joined me in Manhattan, where we cared for an elderly Jewish man who, along with his family, was very kind to us. We worked with him for three and a half years until he passed away. We are still grateful for him and his wonderful family.

As soon as we paid off our student loans and saved some money, we decided to take our first vacation in Los Angeles in 2015, and we never returned to New York. Eventually, we began experimenting with creating unique polymer clay jewelry. Without owning a car initially, we transported our handmade creations, tables, and displays to various farmers' markets and small fairs without a vehicle, relying solely on sheer determination and hard work.

Since 2017, as we started growing, we began participating in juried art shows such as the Rotary Art Show in Studio City, Los Angeles, the Southwest Arts Festival in Indio, the La Quinta Art Walk, the International Indian Wells Arts Festival, the Jazz in the Pines event organized by Idyllwild Arts, the Sawdust Art Festival in Laguna Beach, and many more. Additionally, we received invitations to various gothic and Burning Man events.

As entirely self-taught artists, we developed our own unique techniques and earned our place in internationally recognized, juried art shows, including the prestigious Festival of Arts/Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach, California, and Renaissance Faires across the US. Our work has been featured on various online portals, blogs, and in articles written about us. I have been interviewed several times by Voyage LA and Shoutout LA, as part of their Trailblazer, LA's Most Inspiring Stories, and Inspiring Women series.

As a piano player, I've experienced significant growth. Last year, I had the opportunity to perform a two-hour-long Ostara concert, showcasing my musical compositions alongside classical pieces. In February, I was honored to be invited to perform at the Endless Night Vampire Ball, held at the historic Mayan Theater in Los Angeles. Earlier this year, we were also pleased to be invited to participate in a Hungarian play at the 9 O'clock Theater in Hollywood, with Attila as an actor and me as the piano accompanist.

During our three consecutive years at the Festival of Arts/Pageant of the Masters, a very talented fine artist asked me to model for her. This opportunity led to referrals to several other remarkable artists and fine art groups. Over the last couple of years, I've participated in numerous modeling sessions and photo shoots, with Attila joining me as well.

The Cha(lle)nge

In 2020, the pandemic hit us hard, as it did most artists and performers, leaving us without income for a year and a half. Despite being taxpayers, as immigrants, we received no government assistance—no unemployment benefits, no stimulus checks, and no SBA loans. Our financial recovery has been slow, and our immigration case remains unresolved despite numerous attempts over the years. Although we were recently juried into one of the country's largest and most famous fairs, the Bristol Renaissance Faire, our calculations show that participating would be too costly due to the booth fee, commission, gas, and accommodation expenses. Additionally, our car, with over 200,000 miles and a persistent check engine light, is not worth repairing despite spending $4,000 last year to fix the transmission. In our current situation, we cannot afford to buy a new car that is large enough to carry all the items needed for shows, including a tent, tables, chairs, fabrics, and jewelry displays.

Furthermore, we haven’t seen our families and friends in nearly 15 years. My father recently turned 80, and Attila’s grandfather just turned 90. It is our hearts' call to return to Europe, where we have close friends and family, including Austria, Hungary and Romania. We believe that relocating to Europe will allow us to continue our artistic journey, and we are eager to create and share new artworks with both our current audience and a new one.

How You Can Help

We kindly ask for your support to help us cover the costs of moving and rebuilding our lives and WizArts in Europe. Your donations and purchases from our website (WizArts.us) will contribute to:

In gratitude, we have lowered the prices of our remaining wearable pieces. Additionally, we are extending a special offer to all our customers who choose to purchase items from our website, "WizArts.us." Simply apply the code HELP20 at checkout for any purchases totaling over $100 to receive a 20% discount. If you are unable to contribute financially, please consider supporting us by sharing our fundraiser. It's free and helps us greatly in reaching a wider audience.

A Heartfelt Thank You

We cannot express how much we appreciate the support we have received over the years here in the United States. Many of our customers have become collectors and dear friends, and we are endlessly grateful for your encouragement and belief in us and our work. Your support and care has not only sustained us financially but has also affirmed the value of unique, handmade artworks in a world increasingly dominated by mass-produced items that only enrich large corporations. Without you, we wouldn't be where we are today. Your appreciation for one-of-a-kind, handmade artworks keeps the spirit of independent artistry, creativity and magick alive. 

We will never forget when an elderly man stopped at our booth at Timeless Treasures in Lakewood a few years ago. He walked around and then returned, expressing how much he was drawn to our work, saying it had soul. He bought a piece from us, even though he wouldn't wear it. Many of our other dear customers also mentioned that our booth was their favorite at the huge SoCal Renaissance Faire. We cherish the tears of joy from people when their spouses or friends gifted them with our artwork. All those kind words of appreciation continuously encourage us to persevere in our endeavors and never give up on what we are doing. Our hearts are full, and there are no words to express our gratitude. There is so much more to say about the amazing people and friends we have met here in the United States.

Now, we're ready to take WizArts to the next level. Your empathy and support are invaluable in helping us embark on this new chapter of our lives. By contributing to our fundraiser, you're not just helping a small business grow, but you're also supporting a dream built on resilience, perseverance, creativity, and love. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for considering our request and for any assistance you can provide.

There is no donation too small for our fundraiser; every little bit helps. If each of our customers donated just one dollar, it would cover the moving company's shipping costs.:-)Thank you for being part of our journey; a piece of our hearts will always remain here, with you.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Melinda and Attila

WizArts

P.S.: The duration of the sale: 20 days, from June 2nd to 22nd (ending 2+2 days before we leave the country)