Over the next few days, the street artist-turned-art market phenomenon KAWS is releasing a series of limited-edition prints, the proceeds of which will each go to a different charity.
First up is a 10.5-by-8-inch print of a silhouette of the “Peanuts” comic strip character Snoopy. Coming in an edition of 25 (plus five artists prints not currently for sale), the prints are being offered for $1,200 a pop, with each one signed and numbered by KAWS. All of the proceeds from this print will go to Free Arts NYC, a nonprofit that offers art and mentoring programs to underserved youth.
“Many of the vulnerable children they serve are staying in crowded shelters with little access to resources needed to stay inspired and resilient,” the artist, whose real name is Brian Donnelly, wrote on Instagram. “Please consider supporting the organization, via a donation on their website or by purchasing a print, to raise money for supplies, activity kits, and virtual mentoring for their youth. ”
Twenty-five individuals have the opportunity to buy the print. To be considered, email prints@kaws.com with “FREEARTSNYC” in the subject line. Future benefit editions will be announced soon.
For those looking to get into the KAWS market, there might be no better opportunity than this. The $1,200 price point may be lower than artist’s prints typically sell for. In 2019, KAWS’s individual prints sold for $18,723 on average at auction, according to data from Artnet’s Price Database. So far, in 2020, they’ve gone for an average of $14,000 each.