Lil Feet Boot Art

Who Is Lil Feet?

Lil Feet of SLC is a non-profit organization sponsored by the St. Lucie County Fire District and the St. Lucie County Firefighter's Benevolent that provides shoes to school-age children in need throughout St Lucie County. In 2018 they became an official 501C(3), and partnered with local artists to raise funds for their goals. Artists use decommissioned firefighter gear like boots, helmets, and fire extinguishers as a canvas to create their imaginative works. 

I participated as a featured artist in 2018, 2021, & 2022.

2018

"One More Light"

When I was first asked about joining Lil Feet as a featured artist, it coincided with finding out that there was a connection at the event to someone from my past. This revelation ignited inspiration and took me back to an emotionally tumultuous time when I was 15 (read my novel, Damn Boy George & Thanks for the Heartbreak).  

This emotional context was strengthened by the 2017 suicide of Linkin Park singer-songwriter, Chester Bennington, an artist and performer whom I greatly admired and discovered back in 2002 following the traumatic events of losing my best friend. I channeled those feelings into a work titled, One More Light, named after one of Chester's final, emotionally charged songs.

2021

"Nothing Else Matters"

Participation in the Lil Feet event began to become an opportunity to work through my past emotional traumas, and I continued the trend with another boot that emphasized Mexican culture's influence on my life. The song, Nothing Else Matters by Metallica inspired the name and the message of 2021 entry. The sacred heart, a representation of Jesus and unconditional love was an important symbol as religious leaders and followers often use Jesus and the concept of unconditional love to condemn homosexuality and various cultural forms of human expression.

2022

"Memento Mei"

In 2022, when my family lost many core members to cancer, diabetes, and substance abuse. The death of Mary F. Black, my great-grandmother/adoptive mother, took a heavy toll on all of us, and I dedicated the piece I created to her and all those we lost that year. Memento Mei translates to Remember Me, a beautiful song from the animated film, Disney's Coco.