"Unlike a book that's four years in the making, this art piece is done in a day," Dave Eggers, the famed author of such books as The Circle and A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius told us for a feature back back in 2016. "You can do something in one sitting, and there's a satisfaction in that. As long as it doesn't suck. There's nothing quite like it. And then there's that other voice that says, 'You're 45 years old, this is not an appropriate use of your time.' But then you have to remind yourself, if it makes you happy and you find joy in it, and it makes people happy in some way, you can't overthink it. If somebody laughs at one of those and finds it interesting and wants to put it in their home or bathroom, it makes me beyond happy."
An accomplished writer, Eggers has always been an artist as well. His publishing company, McSweeney's, along with books and magazines, has long featured art, showcasing work from names such as Chris Ware and Marcel Dzama. His own quirky and delightful humor chirps through his personal works, and a longstanding relationship to Electric Works in San Francisco has been a place for Eggers to display the drawings. Signature now in style, they often feature animals musing aloud in seemingly random, but sage sayings.
As COVID-19 has shocked the world and paralyzed so much of the economy, many nonprofits and charities will suffer unimaginable losses, and with this in mind, Eggers and Electric Works have created a capsule collection of a tee, tote and baseball shirt to support ScholarMatch, which sends deserving scholars to college. Eggers founded the organization in 2010, and today is a "32-person organization that engages 500 volunteers per year to serve over 2,600 students nationwide at every point of the college journey."
100% of the proceeds of the sales of these goods will benefit ScholarMatch. As Electric Works notes, "ScholarMatch is doing pivotal work to support underserved students who are in immediate need of funds for housing, food and supplies, technology, and more due to school closures across the country. By purchasing our shirt, you are helping make their college dreams possible."
