Volunteer Spotlight: Jennifer Gregory Portz painting faces and canvases for alley’s house
Local artist Jennifer Gregory Portz said while she missed the opportunity to participate in last year’s art auction, she wasn’t going 
to make that same mistake twice. This year art auction guests will be able to view her work in the alley’s house 8th Annual Art Auction, Incrementum II.
Jennifer sees her artistic abilities as her way to serve others. She chose to support alley’s house because of the great work alley’s house does to empower young women in combination with the organization’s efforts to empower the artists participating in the art auction by giving a portion of the sale of the art to the artist.
“We are all gifted in our own ways, art is my best way to serve others,” she said. “There are many nonprofits that raise money to help community efforts, but not one so far in all the years I’ve served artfully has ever reached back to the artist like alley’s house.”
With the relationship between alley’s house and the artist community, Jennifer would encourage any artist to participate in the annual art event.
“I certainly will encourage other artists to participate in alley’s house art auction,” Jennifer said. “alley’s house is such an important cause with support for artists, for goodness sakes this is the first nonprofit to provide a canvas plus additional support of allowing a portion of the sale from profit go to the artist, for an art fundraising event!”
Jennifer thinks the mission to empower teen mothers and their children at alley’s house is an important and worthwhile cause to support.
“I know how terribly important it is for young women to be educated with life skills so that they can manage their lives better which affects their children, which affects all of us and our future,” Jennifer said.
Jennifer’s support of alley’s house now extends past the art auction in February.
When Jennifer came to alley’s house and met the staff members she said she immediately wanted to find another way to give back to alley’s house. As she was talking to Executive Director Allison Whitehead and Office Manager Angel Davis, Jennifer mentioned that she did face painting and asked if there was an event where alley’s house could utilize her skills.
At the holiday party last week Jennifer’s face painting skills were a huge hit! All of the children lined up to get their face painted like their favorite superhero or with a pretty mask. Even a few moms had their face painted.
alley’s house is very thankful to Jennifer’s support. Do not miss the opportunity to meet her at the alley’s house 8th Annual Art Auction on February 4 at Rising Art Gallery!
