Android Jones Fire

Artist Andrew Jones (AKA Android Jones) suffered a tragedy when his studio in Colorado burned down on January 18, 2023. Jones said,

My father designed and built this barn with his hands. I grew up in this barn. Nearly every material thing I cared about was inside. Decades of sketchbooks, all my archived originals, drawings and paintings, all of my art materials, terabytes of over 20 years of digital art, and all of my projects. All of the tools and equipment that I rely on to support my team and protect my family. All my photos and memories, the material residue and treasures acquired over decades of my best life are in ashes.

I have never felt more naked and vulnerable. I felt like I had lost my structure, my territory, my identity, and my future was burning before my eyes. But today, I have never felt so held and loved by so many people around me. It’s intense. I carry a lot of fears, and the barn was the rock that I relied on to make me and my family feel safe. Making art has always been my primary language for expressing my love. It was so gut-wrenching to see so much of my love and so much of my life-force destroyed.

Jones launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds to rebuild and buy new tools and supplies; as of this writing it has raised more than $280,000, well in excess of the $250,000 goal. Jones said, “My heart has been blasted open by all the love and support that my friends and community have shown up with. I have never lost so much matter that mattered and never gained so much in spirit and support.”

For more about Jones and the fire, see his website.

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