Local artist paints iconic Bengals moments, donates portraits to raise money for charity
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CINCINNATI (WKRC) - A local artist is cheering on the Bengals with her canvas and paintbrushes, continuing her tradition of capturing iconic playoff moments, and then giving back to a Cincinnati charity.
With a blank canvas at the ready, her color palette set, and her rap music turned all the way up, Sadie Harden is celebrating each playoff win the only way she knows how: painting portraits.
“Now I am deep in it. I am very much in it,” said Harden.
Harden is a Kentucky native, but has lived in Cincinnati for the past six years, and it took her almost no time to become a die-hard Bengals fan.
“It’s like every year it’s on fire here, and it’s hard not to recognize how good the team is and cheer them on,” she said.
In 2022, Harden painted Joe Burrow in his iconic black turtleneck look, with sunglasses, and a chain hanging from his neck.
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She also painted a portrait of Ja'Marr Chase with his game face on.
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This time, she went with the legendary 98-yard run for a touchdown by Cincinnati kid Sam Hubbard.
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Harden doesn't just do it for the Instagram likes. She gives away her portraits for donations, and then sends that to a local charity.
This time, every $5 donation gets you a chance to win a painting, and all the money goes to the Sam Hubbard Foundation.
“For someone like Sadie to give her talents to us is just so cool and really meaningful,” said Sam Hubbard Foundation director Matt Kittell.
Harden says the Sam Hubbard Foundation is the perfect charity to donate to, because its mission is food security, something that is near and dear to her heart.
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My mom and I always used to go to the soup kitchen in Richmond, Kentucky, and we would bag the food and then serve the food," she said. "So, this one is really hitting home and I am really hoping to raise money, because I used to do this and it directly impacts our community. It really helps people.
From the field, to her canvas, and hopefully, to feeding the hungry, this is what Cincinnati is all about -- rooting for our team, our city, and our community.
