Arts are the infrastructure for the soul.

That’s a deeply held belief among PPAI Board Chair-Elect Zack Ottenstein, president of The Image Group, PPAI 100’s No. 41 distributor, and his longtime friend Mike Kurzman. Their conviction has fueled an initiative for helping nonprofit youth arts organizations build online stores to sell co-branded merchandise. The goal is to raise both awareness and funding for underserved communities.

Kurzman is a retired real estate executive with decades of experience serving as a trustee of several Chicago-based arts organizations. That’s why it’s a natural fit that The Arts Are The Infrastructure For The Soul Foundation’s latest collaboration supports Marwen, a Chicago-based nonprofit that provides free, high-quality visual arts programming and creative career support to under-resourced youth.

“The Image Group is committed to making a difference in the communities where we work and live,” Ottenstein says. “When Mike approached me about this idea, I was excited to give our team an opportunity to make an impact while also inspiring young people to experience the power of merch. It’s been incredibly rewarding to work with family and hopefully make a difference in the arts, which has been a lifelong passion of ours.”

The Image Group is committed to making a difference in the communities where we work and live.”

Zack Ottenstein

President, The Image Group

Student Art Meets Merch Innovation

The Image Group usually creates the e-commerce sites, handles the supply chain logistics and manages the design work. However, in some instances, the nonprofit has students develop the art while the distributor provides education on basic business principles.

Last fall, students ages 16 to 18 were hired as commissioned artists through Marwen’s Arts for the Soul Commission course, creating original artwork for decorating a variety of promotional products, including totes, mugs, shirts and hats.

Working alongside The Image Group team and Marwen teaching artists, students learned the fundamentals of commissioned work, branding and commercialization while collaborating around the theme of mythology. The result is a collection of unique gouache paintings brought to life through merch.

“Working with the Marwen team has been a rewarding experience,” says Roni Roberts, director of product marketing and solutions at The Image Group. Roberts played an integral role in designing the ArtsForTheSoul.org merchandise store platform.

“Merchandise is a great way for people to celebrate their passions,” she adds. “There are so many opportunities for people in our industry to connect with organizations we care about and use our expertise to help them. I hope that someone from the program is inspired to pursue a creative career within our promotional industry.”

‘Empowering Creators’

The store, which launched in January, operates as a fundraising vehicle for Marwen, with 100% of proceeds going directly back to the organization to support free arts education for Chicago youth.

The shop is open for a limited run and will close May 30, the same day as Marwen’s Spring Exhibition, which is expected to attract more than 200 visitors.

There are so many opportunities for people in our industry to connect with organizations we care about and use our expertise to help them.”

Roni Roberts

Director of Product Marketing & Solutions, The Image Group

“We believe Arts Are the Infrastructure for the Soul is a great example of how print-on-demand technology is transforming what we do and empowering creators to speak through the branded merchandise medium,” Ottenstein says.

“I hope one of the young people participating in the foundation’s program becomes a PPAI Rising Star.”