Design 21: Social Design Network

TY CLARKS SEARCH FOR TRUTH..

More than a fashion brand. That, friends, is the goal that California born, Dallas, Texas based, artist Ty Clark is striving to achieve. And from what we can see, he has a good head start. His fashion label, Veritas, was created to bring creative individuals from across the globe together through the arts to help communities in need. Using art as a method of healing, Ty is making waves in both the fashion industry and the art world.

The idea for the business had been with him for years, but it never really came to fruition until he was living in China. It was then that Ty began to plot out the actual map to Veritas. Using his experience from working at Quicksilver for six years, and his extensive network, the pieces for a humanitarian fashion brand started to fall into place.

The Fashion

Veritas is the Latin word for “truth.” It began as a tattoo drawing he came up with eight or nine years ago that encompassed one of the birds from their current logo. “When I started putting together ideas for this brand, I came across it in the book one day and I just thought ‘That’s it, that’s the company,’” says Clark. As for the actual tattoo, he still has yet to ink himself, but leaving it open for a future possibility. His aspirations for Veritas are not only to become a very well known brand in the fashion community, but to also create its own niche.

Ty produces all the designs for his upscale fashion tees (oh, and accessories, too!) hi...

A few months ago, I painted artwork live at an event for Falling Whistles, where the piece I painted ended up on Facebook. Somehow, in a move of social media magic, Ty Clark and I were “web introduced,” and I fell in love with his work. Turns out, he was showing at an event for Falling Whistles only a couple weeks later. Ty is CEO and founder of Veritas Fashion, a non-profit organization created to support humanitarian efforts worldwide through every form of art out there.

Ty (also known as “samo4prez”) works in all mediums, primarily painting, but says his biggest passion lies in writing. Clay and bronzing are part of his roots, but he says, “I keep creative as much as possible; I am finishing two novels with two others in the beginning stages…Sometimes I have the inner argument about being an artist who writes or a writer who paints. Maybe I am both.”

He and his wife just moved back from China two years ago, and they’ve moved around 14 times in the 8 years they’ve been married. The couple now resides in Lewisville, Texas. But, as Ty claims, “I will go, live and create anywhere.”

When asked what issue he feels most passionate about, he responds with, “I don’t think there is one particular issue. There are many that I support in a number of different means. Anything involving children I will put everything I have towards if I feel strongly about it. I have traveled and worked in many orphanages, handicapped schools, and boys homes for abused kids all ...

The people that brought Dallas “LOVE” now bring to the DFW Metroplex “HOPE”. On Friday, April 3, 2009, Veritas fashion along with Ransomed Productions will host a benefit for Naomi’s Village Orphanage (NVO).

Throughout the evening your ears will be filled with the ambience of music from one of Dallas’ top musical artists Sleeperstar. Your eyes will take in amazing works of art completed by some of the finest emerging artists in the DFW Metroplex, including members of The Veritas Artist Collective, 5D Artists Group and DIAC (Dallas Independent Artist Community).

Your pallet will enjoy food and wine, your skin will sense the familiarity of close friends and loved ones, and your heart will take in the story of the vision behind Naomi’s Village Orphanage. All the while, your soul will break for African children who have no place to call home.

Doors open at 7:30pm Sleeperstar 9:30pm-10:30pm

There will be a 20$ suggested donation at the door, CC and cash are accepted. 100% of door proceeds will be donated to Naomi's Village.

All fashion product will donate 20% of sales to Naomi's Village and all artist will donate 30% of art sales.

Individual donations to the orphanage will be accepted at the event.

Raffle tickets will be for sale for an event raffle with insane items. 100% of raffle ticket sales will be donated to the orphanage.

We still need to raise approximately $50,000.

“The silence that surrounds children affected by HIV/AIDS and the inaction that resu...

Veritas and Ransomed Productions present HOPE, a benefit for Naomis Village Orphanage with Sleeperstar, The Veritas Artist Collective, 5D Artists and other.

Here is some information on Naomis Village Orphanage ..please pass it on, post it to your facebook, myspace, tumlbr, twitter , blog etc and tag your friends..help us come together again as a community of individuals with a purpose... Ty Clark "samo4prez" CEO Veritas fashion...

Naomi means “beautiful, pleasant, and delightful”. Naomi’s Village Orphanage will be built on a 5-acre piece of land located in Maai Mahui, Kenya. Maai Mahui is a 20-minute drive from Kijabe down into the valley. It is located along a major trade route known as the AIDS highway that links Nairobi to Kampala. As a principal truck stop on that road, the village has high rates of prostitution and AIDS. It is estimated that in Kenya 1.1 million children are orphans with the number expected to continue to rise. Naomi's Village is expected to house as many as 110 children, both male and female. We have had actual plans drawn up by a Kenyan architect who designed another children's home in the area. The orphanage will have running water and electricity and will have a security fence around the periphery, since this is a high crime area. Children who are school age will attend the Maai Mahui Primary School, which is within walking distance. The plans for our orphanage also call for a large common room for meetings, services, and presentations. ...

This news is just in - the dominant warlord of Congo has been arrested.

Reuters Story Please read my friend Sean Carasso's accounts with Nkunda himself before he started his organization Falling Whistles--

NKUNDA & I

The following is one of the great adventures of my young life. I hope you'll take the time to dive in. I know it is long, but then again, so was the day.

On this Sunday Sabbath, I met me a pastor. This pastor also happens to be a psychiatrist and indeed a professor. If that weren't enough, he is also a General. And now he has, in the past few years, become a Warlord.

Today on this Sunday Sabbath, I met the General Laurent Nkunda of the CNDP Rebel Political and Military Organization.

We had been working for weeks on getting a meeting with the General. Secret names and secret numbers were in full effect when, at 5:30am, our Congolese partner François got the call – Nkunda would meet today.

He frantically dressed and rode a moto to our home.

I had stayed up till 2am grieving and writing about the boys stuck in Titu. Who is this Nkunda, this monster of a man, to do such things? The boys open wounds were plaguing my dreams.

So when François bangs my door into waking, it comes as an exhausted surprise. He is panting, out of breath and has Lindsay outside in her pajamas when he tells me the news.

"But we must go now, we are already late," he tells us. I run into the kitchen to stuff a couple pieces of bread in my backpack and ...

Coming to Dallas Feb 7th....a benefit for Falling Whistles...featuring music, art, and LOVE...details coming...Veritas will be there as well as members of the Veritas Artist Collective- in the meantime check out: http://www.fallingwhistles.com http://www.liveveritas.com All Veritas fashion items are 30% off online sales with 10% of your purchase going to support Falling Whistles and their efforts to bring the child soldier tragedies of Congo.

Veritas Artist Collective members SLEEPERSTAR will be headlining a benefit concert on Jan 29th at House of Blues Dallas. The event is titled “Rock the Wells” and its efforts are to raise funding to provide clean water wells to villages in SOMALILAND. These efforts are very close to the heart of Veritas. Veritas founder/designer Ty Clark aka “Samo4prez” parents have been doing humanitarian work in Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya for over 13 years and are currently active in serving and bringing hope through community in these regions. Also featured on the bill are TREY DUCK, THE WAX POETICS, AND NEEKI BEY