Purchase a Spark of Love-inspired t-shirt and bring joy to kids this holiday season
ABC7 will donate its proceeds from the sale of the shirts to buy toys and sports gear for SoCal kids and teens in need.
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- ABC7 is celebrating the 31st year of the Spark of Love toy drive - the largest community toy drive in the nation.
To help raise money this year, we have teamed up with local muralists to design t-shirts. You can check out their shirts at abc7.com/shop.
We partnered with Smile South Central to identify muralists willing to donate their time and talent for the project.
Artist Daniel Toledo, also known Mister Toledo hopes that you'll love his retro design for this year's Spark of Love T-shirt.
Mister Toledo is an L.A.-based artist who works at a shared studio space at Munzón Gallery in Long Beach. He told us, "I thought the Spark of Love campaign needed a little mascot."
"What inspired me to join the campaign was that I really like what ABC7 and the firefighters are doing. The sales of the shirts go towards a good cause."
"My design is inspired by the ads from the 1950s magazine The Saturday Evening Post. It's illustrations are one of my biggest inspirations in art."
"I was looking through their magazines and looking at all the cartoon characters and mascots. I just got out my iPad and started sketching."
CHECKOUT MISTER TOLEDO'S T-SHIRT HERE.
Muck Rock's shirt is a reproduction of a Santa Monica mural that calls for peace after two men were killed in late August in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
"I think it's a really difficult holiday season this year because of what's been going on," said local graffiti artist and muralist Jules Muck, otherwise known as Muck Rock.
CHECKOUT MUCK ROCK'S T-SHIRT HERE.
"It's important to be a part of the campaign just because it's for kids," said Phobik, a Los Angeles-based artist specializing in public art and paintings.
"It brightens up their day and uplifts the community and it introduces other people to creative artwork," he told ABC7.
"Art is important now especially during the pandemic because it keeps you busy, it keeps your mind busy," Phobik added.
Phobik has turned his t-shirt design into a larger-than-life mural at 4899 Washington Blvd. in Los Angeles along side another contributing artist, Septerhed.
CHECKOUT PHOBIK'S T-SHIRT HERE.
Jason Ostro is an artist and the director of Gabba Gallery in Los Angeles.
"I've been very interested in art my entire life," Ostro said. "I was influenced by art at a very, very young age from my mom."
"When I was a child, she gave me all the tools and taught me so many different ways to create, and to use my creative abilities for expression."
"The Spark of Love program was something that called out to us in the sense of being able to make kids lives just a little bit better by getting them toys through the holiday season."
"So when I was asked to be part of the Spark of Love program, it made complete sense to add a heart with a little bit of the muck around it so you can get the love right in the center."
CHECKOUT JASON'S T-SHIRT HERE.
Armed with spray paint cans, artist AngelOnce hopes to spread peace and love through his murals.
Teaming up with Spark of Love, AngelOnce shares Charlie, the angry elephant, with the world.
"It's important for me to be part of this spark of love program, because I love to give back to the community," said AngelOnce.
The angry elephant-shaped like the letter O symbolizes AngelOnce's name with Charlie, the angry elephant shape. "So the O represents me as Once," said AngelOnce.
CHECKOUT ANGELONCE'S T-SHIRT HERE.
Artist Ernest Doty has been building his craft as an artist since the early 90s.
"I'm originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I was an active painter, Doty stated. "I moved to Oakland, California, about 18 years ago. And then two years ago, we moved here to Los Angeles."
"Through that community - the street art community - that's how I got connected with this project."
"The one that I'm most known for would be spray paint. I do large scale murals all over the world."
"Lately, however, I've been getting into fabric - creating with fabric, learning how to build puppets, and installation-type pieces."
Doty was eager to work with ABC7's Spark of Love toy drive. "I had heard of it before, just because I know a few people that have worked on the project and done designs in the past."
"So when I was asked if I wanted to be a part of it this year, of course, I jumped on it. I enjoy doing charity work, getting involved in positive causes, especially that are community oriented."
CHECKOUT ERNEST DOTY'S T-SHIRT HERE.
Contemporary artist 'hero' creates socially charged images with his blend of mixed media and spray paint.
"Space and the next frontier and what it's like to just be pushing boundaries...I really wanted to incorporate that into the design that I created for Spark of Love," said hero.
"And I thought, what a cool blend of peace on Earth and then beyond Earth. So it's very relevant to this time period...this time of year and then the different concepts that I've been exploring in my own artwork."
Hero continued, "I typically work in spray paint, even different types of spray paint. I've recently been using a lot of water based spray paint."
"My artists journey has been a journey over 10 years, and I feel like I've just been following the breadcrumbs."
"One thing led to another. I would love to say I intentionally tried to get to certain places, but the right thing seems to fit. Like the right year."
CHECKOUT HERO'S T-SHIRT HERE.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Liseth Amaya is a multi-disciplinary international painter, illustrator and muralist.
Amaya stated, "I think I've always just been inspired to want to be a painter. It wasn't something that actually thought I could do as a child."
Amaya' family received toys from the Spark of Love toy drive when she was young.
"When I was approached to do this project, I started talking to my sister about it," Amaya said.
"I remember when we were kids, the firemen and the fire engine would come with the toys and I remember it being such a big deal."
"I remember us just getting so excited about it. We were always excited about getting the toys and it was a special thing to do."
Amaya continued, "I definitely want other kids to benefit the way I did. Organizations like this are really important, especially during this time."
CHECKOUT LISETH AMAYA'S T-SHIRT HERE.
GoopMassta is a SoCal artist who is recognized for his signature character, an amphibious iconic frog with a big personality and even bigger dreams.
"The shirt that I drew is him engulfed in a whole bunch of toys and things that we want...crave...need. You know, just things that people like. It's just always fun to dive into a whole thing of toys, right?"
GoopMassta's character is an urban Hip Hop froggy all about fashion and positivity...and just having a really good time.
"We went from spray painting to making sculptures and little toys," stated GoopMassta.
"That's why I enjoy this because I also make toys at home, too. So, you know, this is just everything that I'm engulfed in, and it just makes me happy!"
CHECKOUT GOOPMASSTA'S T-SHIRT HERE.
Starting at the age of four, Mecca Robinson, a.k.a Su.plex Art, turned her love for art into a passion, a business and successful brand called "Buns & Blyphin."
"If I could describe myself in one word, I'd say artistic," said the artist.
For her Spark of Love T-shirt Su.plex drew inspiration from her inner child and the use of bright color.
"Color is one of the best ways we are able to express ourselves," the artist told Localish.
She describes her T-shirt as having "variety and that keeps people's eyes moving."
"I had to think what kind of shirt would people want to wear for Christmas," said Su.plex. "I feel like there should a shirt that has a feeling of, I can do anything."
CHECKOUT SU.PLEX'S T-SHIRT HERE.
Inspired by his childhood, artist Vasco Del Rey created a design featuring a large figure with a small flower, signifying many things, such as the impact the little things can have on a person.
"One of the first things that I was exposed to was the generosity of Americans," said Del Rey. "It made me less scared and more happy being in a new country."
Del Rey says being a part of this campaign is one way he can pay if forward and is hoping his design has a positive effect for other children, especially children of color, those in need or perhaps undocumented kids.
CHECKOUT VASCO'S T-SHIRT HERE.
"I really wanted to do something to kind of capture the children and fire department and capture this whole kind of excitement that kids see when they see a fire truck," said Moncho 1929, a Los Angeles-based artist whose work can be found in private, city, and corporate collections.
"It's important to be a part of Spark of Love because any chance to do good for the community and for a good cause is always a good thing to do," Moncho 1929 added.
"For me art is a different language and when I was young, I didn't speak much and art is a way for me to speak," he told ABC7.
"I've been doing work with charities and with children for years and I love helping out charities and helping out kids," he shared.
CHECKOUT MONCHO'S T-SHIRT HERE.
"2020 has been one of the most horrific years that I've seen since I've been alive and I like to give back to my community when I can," said Septerhed, a Los Angeles-based artist specializing in murals, illustrations and paintings.
"If we can help a younger generation by showing love...and give our time to help out...it teaches them to be like that later in life," he told ABC7.
"A lot of kids don't have the same opportunities as other kids. It's a human right to be shown love and compassion," Septerhed shared.
CHECKOUT SEPTERHED'S T-SHIRT HERE.
ABC7 will donate its proceeds from the sale of these t-shirts to support the Spark of Love toy drive.
