Television and Radio appearances
Montreal artist gives of himself at Camp Heartland
By Richard Goss The West Island Suburban Wednesday, September 20, 1995
American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson once said that the measure of success was “to leave the world a bit better, to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.” Evidently, Mr. Emerson’s wise words have not been lost on 32-year-old Montreal artist Eric Waugh. Called “Canada’s finest abstract artist” by Pique News, Mr. Waugh has just returned from Camp Heartland in Wisconsin, a summer camp for children with AIDS, where he donated samples of his works to sponsor Canadian children who want to attend the camp.
“I’ve always said that if I ever was in a position to help others, I’d do it,” he said after his trip. “To be honest, I can’t think of a better way to give of myself than to help these kids.” This comes from a man who knows about hard times. Not so long ago, Mr. Waugh was the archetypal starving artist, a self-taught unknown struggling to make it in a field where few earn a decent living. Yet, with persistence and hard work, he managed to climb the ladder of success, and now enjoys a prominence in the art world he could only dream of a few years ago. “It’s funny,” he says, “One day, you’re living on Kraft dinner, and the next day, people are buying up all your paintings. I don’t always understand it, but I’ve learned not to question it, either.”
Once he finally made the grade, the Montreal native wondered how he could give something back. Then, one night in June, the answer came to him from an unexpected source: the television. “I was just sitting at home, relaxing and watching a bit of TV, when on came a documentary about a young girl with AIDS. This sweet little child, who had been struggling so hard to deal with an affliction she didn’t really understand, found inner courage and inspiration from a place called Camp Heartland. I was so intrigued by the work of this camp that I knew I wanted to be a part of it.” The following morning, Mr. Waugh called the company that manufactures fine art posters of his works and told them that he wanted to do one to raise money for Camp Heartland. Before long, he was speaking with the camp’s founder, Neil Willenson, and the next thing he knew, he was on his way to Wisconsin to check out Camp Heartland firsthand. “I have to admit that, after seeing the television program, I thought [the camp] might be a bit depressing,” he said. “On TV, they showed a lot of the emotional stuff, and there is a degree of that going on. However, in reality, it’s a place where kids can have fun and forget about their disease. Each night, they all got together and talked about their day, and I don’t think the word ‘AIDS’ was mentioned once. They were just being kids, having a fantastic time at camp. It was really inspiring, really something to see.”
Since the trip, Mr. Waugh has listed Camp Heartland among his top priorities. His fine art prints are now in circulation, he has set up fundraising art exhibits in Chicago and Atlanta, and he is now looking into other avenues of raising funds for the camp. And whenever he needs further inspiration, Mr. Waugh says he just has to look at his own children, Alex and Andrew. “I really love my kids, and when I saw that program with all those sick children, it just tore my heart out. It made me think of my own kids and how lucky I was that they were healthy. I guess that’s why I’m doing this: to give kids who aren’t so lucky a chance to enjoy being kids.”
