Illustrated picture frame with the cover of "Ludwigsburg wimmelt" and a sign with the words "Sold!"

Do Good Things with Your Art

Author: Abigail Hart
Est. Reading Time: 4 Minutes

Do Good Things with Your Art (1-2-3 Yours! Finale)

Germans say it is bad form for to toot your own horn. This week, I’ve invited blogger Abigail Hart to do the tooting for me. 

Ludwigsburg wimmelt” Fine Art Prints Bring in Donations at Charity Auction

“Ludwigsburg wimmelt” tells stories that anyone of any culture can understand and find themselves in. The clever search and find stories create hundreds of characters and ongoing quests to discover. The stories are without text, so they have no language barrier.

Many people around the world experience barriers between themselves and the world. They experience barriers to storytelling, whether it’s a lack of access to books or a lack of access to education. Some people in the poorest countries experience barriers to the world, even in the form of unclean drinking water and unsafe living conditions. 

A Cause Found In the Heart of Ludwigsburg

The Kongoussi region of Burkina Faso is very special to the people of Ludwigsburg and to Hoffman herself. The Kongoussi region has been a “partner city” of Ludwigsburg for many years. The Stadtbibliothek Ludwigsburg (Ludwigsburg City Library) displayed the “Ludwigsburg wimmelt” prints twice before the auction. Ludwigsburg even has a small park dedicated to the Förderkreis Burkina Faso Ludwigsburg e.V. just outside the city library.

Charity Auction of Search-and-Find Illustrations Reveals Well-Being for Children

In April, artist Kimberley Hoffman auctioned fine art prints of the search-and-find book “Ludwigsburg Wimmelt” as part of a charity auction to support quality of life outreach in Burkina Faso. The prints brought in €2,020. –, which she donated to the Förderkreis Burkina Faso Ludwigsburg e.V. Hoffman specified that some the funds go to promote literacy for school children in the Kongoussi region of Burkina Faso. The charity also supports youth in learning a trade as well as building clean wells for communities in the area. A donation of just 75 € can support a young person in Burkina Faso for a year in learning a trade.

Poignantly, the charity auction itself was affected by global tragedies. Originally scheduled for the end of November 2021, rapidly rising COVID-19 cases postponed the auction. Around late November / early December, a military coup overthrew the government in Burkina Faso. Shortly before the second exhibition date in March 2022, when mail-in bids were being accepted, the war broke out in Ukraine. 

Because of these tragedies, Hoffman and the auction hosts were concerned that with attention on Ukraine, the auction might not be successful in raising money for children in Burkina Faso. The artist noted of her experience that she felt it was important to continue her auction because, “the immediate problems at our doorstep make the problems of others feel so far away.” 

Susanne Karstedt of the Förderkreis Burkina Faso Ludwigsburg e.V. received the check. Karstedt confirmed that it has become difficult to raise funds for the charity because of the global unrest and that she was deeply grateful for the 2,020. – € donation from the “Ludwigsburg wimmelt” artist prints auction.

Making Wimmelbooks Accessible for Everyone

Even if you couldn’t attend the exhibit, you can still get a copy of “Ludwigsburg wimmelt” from your favorite bookseller, or online. Wimmelbooks are board books with many scenes set in a city or region. They tell stories about the characters, the town, the region, and the setting without any words. This Wimmelbook is set in Ludwigsburg, and shows the many important cultural features and historic landmarks found there. Kimberley Hoffman created a presentation on developing Wimmelbooks to go along with the donation announcement which you can view in this blog post, „How to illustrate and Design a Children’s Book“.

This article may be downloaded for use as a press release and publicity. 

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