What do you do when you are tired of seeing cancer–all kinds of cancer–take the lives of the men you know and love? You would want to do something about it right? Right.
Enter Joel Gresham—a nationally known artist whose works are in the private collections such as Oprah and Quincy Jones will be challenging himself to paint 100 original necktie paintings in less than 100 days to help raise recognition for Not 1 Forgotten Men’s Cancer Awareness.
The 100 planned paintings will be donated to 100 hospitals and cancer centers nationwide starting with an art exhibition on May 30, 2014 at the Sunrise Civic Center Art Gallery at 6:30pm. This endeavor will be used to expand the outreach of Gresham’s message and to celebrate June as men’s cancer awareness month.
Love Black America Web? Get more! Join the Black America Web Newsletter
We care about your data. See our privacy policy.
The Center for Disease Control states that “cancer will claim the lives of nearly 300,000 men in America,” quotes Gresham. “In addition, statistics show that a higher percentage of men will die from cancer than women because they are typically diagnosed at a later stage.” After losing many good friends and family members to cancer, Joel Gresham is committed to spreading the message of cancer awareness. He created the organization Not 1 Forgotten to encourage men to get regular checkups as a preventive measure to stay healthy and live longer. Gresham states, “Our goal is to bring a permanent end to complacency and fear.”
Top 10 States Where Cancer Lives
The artist/activist has created a symbol to rally around, a blue and black necktie designed as a tribute and celebration to honor the lives of men as a national symbol of togetherness. The blue of the necktie signifies hope and faith. The black knot of the necktie is a symbol for healing.
Joel Gresham is an artist and author. He was born in Fort Lauderdale and received his college education in Atlanta, with a degree in broadcasting. As a Dale Carnegie graduate, Joel’s proudest moment came when his peers voted him as “Human Relations Champion.” Joel’s remarkable gift as a fine artist has brought him significant acclaim in his 37 years of experience. In addition to Oprah and Quincy Jones, his works are in many public and private collections including those of Edwin Moses, Bernie Marcus, Paul Winfield, Marla Gibbs, Hank Aaron, James Worthy, and Muhammad Ali.
