Meet Eleanor Amari of Artists For Global Good (AGG)

Today we’d like to introduce you to Eleanor Amari.

Eleanor, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’m a first-generation American to Italian and Cuban immigrants who worked really hard to create the American dream for me and my sister. Instead of pushing me to do the same, they taught me that if I love what I do, I’ll never work a day in my life. I’m 100% doing that today.

I got my start by sort of picking and choosing what I liked about the world and what I didn’t like. I liked luxury – art, fashion, design – and I didn’t like how our world had so many fundamental problems to solve. Bridging my two minds, I decided early on to inspire social change through beautiful things.

Since 2016, my core impact has been in the sustainable fashion industry with Remake (https://remake.world), an SF-based NGO seed funded by Levi Strauss Foundation to inspire a conscious consumer movement. Through documentary shorts (https://remake.world/films/made-in-cambodia/) and sustainable style advice, I’ve helped readers and audience members discover the hidden stories behind our clothes and buy better.

Today, I bring my savvy direct to wardrobes through personal sustainable shopping (https://www.eleanoramari.com). Any social movement – animal rights, human rights, environmental rights – depends on public support.

Getting and growing that support needs visual beauty: beautiful design, beautiful placemaking, beautiful content. In 2018, I started my passion project, Artists For Global Good (AGG) (https://agg.media), a 501c3 that bridges top-shelf artists with impact projects.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Haha, smooth road? That doesn’t exist for anyone! How else could we grow and learn? My personal struggle has been to let things happen and be vulnerable along the way.

So, instead of being a tidal wave on the things I want to happen, to be a steady stream and work closely with the people around me to actualize a shared goal.

Artists For Global Good (AGG) – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I started AGG to bridge creators who inspire me to social movements. I organically grow projects by researching, building relationships, and connecting the dots. I have some projects in the works right now that I’m really excited about.

One key piece of my work is building meaningful relationships with evocative artists. I like to listen to them & learn – discover what they care about and the sorts of impact projects they hope to create.

These artists include Todd Antony (https://www.toddantony.com/), a British photographer who’s shot a ton of material for the automotive and entertainment industries. I found him via his Dekotora series, where he photographed the Japanese truck drivers who trick out their trucks for pleasure and community. I appreciate how his photography creates a cinematic moment.

Imagine how, for example, his work could help humanize refugee communities. Tim Allen (https://www.timallenphoto.net), an Australian photographer who photographs construction sites to expose man’s rapid technological advancements but resulting harm to the planet. Imagine his work behind an environmental campaign, or in science classrooms.

César Balcazar (https://www.cesarbalcazar.co/), a Colombian fashion & portrait photographer who’s photographed top talents like The Chainsmokers for publications like Esquire and Vogue. He also does campaigns that link sustainably made products to influencers, so he’s doing some rad impact work already.

There’s a tremendous unexplored opportunity for illustrators, too. Fernando Bittar (https://bittar.design) has this annihilating style. He’s Brazilian, and he likes to create work that inspires self-awareness. I could easily see him on a campaign for freedom of speech.

These are all talented artists who want to create work for the benefit of people + planet. They need the scope of work and budget, and I want to create these opportunities throughout my lifetime. I’m all for aesthetics and ethics.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I define success by the well-being and joy of my team through the process, and when the final product is so badass, it widens eyes and inspires people. I also have really high standards for visual excellence. I know I’ve done a good job when I come away from a project with a good feeling.

What were you like growing up? Personality wise, interest wise, etc.
I was very shy! I could hardly make a phone call. My friends today find it hard to believe, because I love traveling, meeting new people, making new friends.

But as a kid I felt isolated for one reason or another, I mostly lived in my imagination, playing with friends from time to time and eating simple Italian food at home. Now that I think of it, I actually do a lot of the same, with the added ingredient of being out in the world way more often. 🙂

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.agg.media
• Phone: 3472331072
• Email: [email protected]

 Image Credit:
Gerard Sandoval, Todd Antony, Tim Allen, César Balcazar, Fernando Bittar

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