‘Do good by doing good:’ Local Anchorage artist turns art into food during painting marathon

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - While SNAP benefits have been in limbo due to the government shutdown, Anchorage artist Max Romey set out to do what he could in the fight against food insecurity.

Romey, artist and founder of Trailbound Sketches, wanted to do something special for his birthday on Monday. In light of the recent disaster declaration for Western Alaska, as well as the federal government shutdown, Romey decided to use his talent for a good cause.

“You get all these kudos of people being like, congratulations for surviving a whole year,” Romey said. “So, it was like, ‘okay, what if we use that, and we actually do something here, and make some sketches?’”

From there Max got in touch with the Food Bank of Alaska about working with them. Working together, Max set up a live stream of his all-day sketch-a-thon inside the food bank warehouse, the very place the money he raised would go back to.

“I know I can sell sketches of the Alaska animals, and when even a dollar can raise two meals for people, I can sell sketches for, like, 150. So why not try to make 32 sketches for 32 years, and see where we can take that?”

KEEN footwear, which has sponsored Romey in the past, said they would match each dollar raised, making each sketch sold a total of $300 raised.

“It’s been really cool to know all these like little pieces of Alaska are going to be sent to their homes as little, tiny reminders, whether it’s a sandhill crane or something,” Romey said. “And like, each of these is 600 meals.”

In the wake of former Typhoon Halong devastating Alaska’s West Coast and the lack of federal SNAP funds being distributed on Nov. 1, the Food Bank of Alaska has seen a higher-than-usual level of activity, according to Chief Advocacy Officer Rachael Miller.

“We have a natural disaster, and now we have an economic crisis, and Food Bank of Alaska has experienced — Alaska, has experienced — an increase in hunger over the last couple years,” Miller said. “Our hunger rates have just gone up, according to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap. So it’s now one in seven Alaskans that experience hunger, and one in five kids.”

While hunger rates have increased, Romey is hoping each pencil line or brush stroke can go towards feeding Alaska.

“I think you can do good by doing good with just about anything,” Romey said. “And in my case, I love watercolors, and I love painting, but you just need to think in one clever way to be able to twist that into encouraging other people to help something like the food bank, you know?”

“And I don’t have a spare $10,000 or $15,000 on me, but I know how to turn a piece of paper into something special, and everybody else has come together to figure out the rest.”

The Food Bank of Alaska accepts monetary donations, as well as shelf-stable pantry staples, at its Anchorage location on 2192 Viking Drive.

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