Preserve Chappelle Letman's Artistic Legacy
Donation protected
Hello! My name is Mo - or as Chappelle knew me - "Zeke." I knew Chappelle for almost twenty years before he passed away and he became a true friend, mentor, and confidant over those many years. It is an honor to act as the Fiduciary of Chappelle's Estate in order to preserve his legacy and memory as an artist.
This GoFundMe is meant to preserve the artwork created by Chappelle Letman, Jr. by raising funds to pay off the medical debts owed by his Estate. Once the debts are cleared, the end-goal is to honor Chappelle's wishes and to thereafter donate his artwork to the Artists Archives of the Western Reserve in Cleveland, Ohio (https://www.artistsarchives.org/). It is our hope to keep all of his artwork together so that it may be preserved by the Archives along with Chappelle's memory. Although Chappelle passed away over 4 years ago, his Estate encountered a number of delays and obstacles in working towards this ultimate goal.
Chappelle was a beloved friend and artist whose beautiful life cannot be easily summarized. Although he battled adversity throughout life, he maintained a positive outlook and continued to pursue his passion - art. Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1950, he travelled the country to see and capture beauty all over, from Alaska to the Florida Keys. Initially a painter - he has creations in the collections of Miles Davis and Sarah Vaughn. Unfortunately, he lost his sight in 1992 and after acclimating to life without sight, he continued to creating art by using his hands and sculpting stone and clay. His memory lives on both through the art he created and the lasting memory he left with those of us lucky to have known him.
Further information on Chappelle can be found at the following article and video links:
https://canjournal.org/2020/03/working-in-the-universe-remembering-chappelle-letman-jr-december-21-1950-january-15-2020/
https://www.cleveland.com/plain-dealer-library/2010/04/blind_cleveland_sculptor_chappelle_letman_measures_life_by_what_he_has_been_given_not_lost.html
Organizer
Mohammad Abdallah
Organizer
Cleveland, OH