Meet the Artists 2025 - #2
As we approach this year’s Furnished for Good event on May 2 at Next Fab, we will showcase our artists who have created pieces for the upcoming event and auction. This year, we are collaborating with 15 local artists selected by our Guest Curators, Damon Reaves and Lawren Alice. Each of these artists works with different mediums, has diverse styles, and offers new perspectives through their artwork. This week, we are highlighting Breck Brunson, Deirdre Childs, Karen Rauppius, and Gina Altadonna. All four of these artists created surface pieces whether it’s a side table, desk, or piano bench… You’ll have to check out our auction (Open Now!) to see which artist curated what piece. Stay tuned for more artist features as we get closer to the event.
Get your tickets to Furnished for Good on May 2nd below and bid on pieces today!
Breck Brunson
Breck Omar Brunson (Artist/Designer/Musician) was born to a cosmetologist mother and insurance salesman father just south of Philadelphia in Chester, Pennsylvania in 1975. Although born in the northeast, he spent most of his young summers with extended family in the south. The contrast of lifestyles has influenced Breck to question his surroundings and his place comparatively within them. Through simple suggestive gestures, he finds ways to include his audience in his artwork by giving them just enough to engage while simultaneously provoking consideration of their own place in his created environments, pictorials and objects.
Breck makes original works as well as uses or manipulates found objects to narrate his presented encounters. He feels that art is happening with and without us at all times and we simply need to isolate any given moment to see the depth and hear the conversation. Breck is also a designer specializing in furniture pieces and decor. He pursues this branch of his creativity with the same simplicity and deductive nature. He also explores sound in various music outfits as a writer, vocalist, and producer. Breck currently lives and creates in Philadelphia. This is Breck’s second time recreating a furniture piece for Furnished for Good and we’re thrilled to see what he comes up with! Bid on Breck’s piece and more now!
Deirdre Childs
Deirdre is a self-taught DIYer with a passion for restoring and refinishing furniture—especially pieces others might consider trash. A former Special Educator with over 30 years in the School District of Philadelphia, she holds a Doctoral degree, has served as an adjunct professor, and now runs an essential services online business.
A longtime skilled volunteer at the Philadelphia Furniture Bank, Deirdre has found a way to blend her love of furniture restoration with her dedication to service. “Volunteering at the PFB has fulfilled my passion in a big way,” she says. She especially values the collaborative, supportive environment created by the staff. Deirdre couldn’t decide on just one piece, so her refurbished desk comes with a few extras… check it out online now or in-person at NextFab on May 2nd!
Karen Rauppius
@fountainwoodstudio on Instagram
Karen Rauppius is an illustrator, printmaker, graphic designer, and digital artist who worked in Philadelphia and Seattle before settling down in the Lehigh Valley. She is passionate about capturing the beauty of living things and creating energy in line and color. Mostly self-taught, she works across digital painting, linocut, screenprint, watercolor, and pen & ink. Together with her husband, Karen also refurbishes and restores vintage furniture out of their garage workshop. As her main career, Karen works for a women's empowerment nonprofit, where she is grateful for the opportunity combine her passions for communication, creativity, and social change. Karen’s piece is a beautiful art deco-inspired side table with intricate hand-painted details and custom drawer inserts. Bid on the piece now and view it at our in-person celebration event on May 2nd.
Gina Altadonna
Gina Altadonna is a fine artist currently working in Philadelphia, PA. She has shown her work nationally and internationally, has been published in art magazines and newspapers, and has received numerous grants, awards and fellowships in her field. She is working as an Adjunct Professor of illustration at Philadelphia's Moore College of Art and Design. Gina was immediately inspired by a piano bench at the Philadelphia Furniture Bank and its hidden compartment—it reminded her of a secret place where a little girl might tuck away her stories or secrets. She brought that vision to life with a beautifully oil-painted design. View and bid on Gina’s piece online now, or buy tickets to see it in person and celebrate with us on May 2!
