editors note:  This article is running concurrently at jorbins.com and is being reprinted with permission of that publication.  To view the article in its original format, click here.  It comes as no surprise to those of us who have been part of EBSQ for some time that John Seed deserves to be honoured.  But perhaps we take for granted how extraordinary his accomplishments are. Congratulations, John, and thank you for everything.

John Seed is the second recipient of Jorbins.com's Above and Beyond Award.  We at Jorbins wanted to do something positive with our website and it just doesn't get much more positive than touching other peoples lives and making them better while going about your own daily life. And John Seed, an artist, teacher, and online educator, is doing just that. 

John  created a community for artists who were selling their works on eBay. His vision for this community (titled EBSQ) was that membership would be open to all levels of artists, allowing them to support and learn from each other, and showcase their work together as a group on eBay. He started a website for the artist community, covered costs himself and donated an unbelievable amount of time, all for free. 

Part of his vision for EBSQ was to empower self-representing artists without taking any commission from their sales, while at the same time, promoting the group to art collectors. This also opened the door to people who may have never considered buying original art because of it's infamous high prices from
physical galleries, because with EBSQ artists, there's no middle-man, so buyers pay for the art, NOT the building it's hanging in.

We first learned of John through one of the artists he has helped, Kim Niles (Stoney).  She told us that though she has yet to meet him in person, he has influenced and improved her life as a self-representing artist...and not just hers, but over 200 other artists as well!  She thought so highly of John that she nominated him for this award.

Another artist, Sonya Paz, had this to say about John. "He is a pillar in our society, he is experienced, talented, intelligent and is a down to earth person. He is a family man who values his surroundings, he is a friend and a mentor. I personally do not think that there is an award that can truly capture the essence of John Seed and the value that he brings to each of us. I feel so very fortunate to know him."

Beth Duri had these comments. "John Seed is an amazing man.  His thoughtfulness toward others is phenomenal. He is definitely someone I look up to. I believe John Seed really deserves an award for all his hard work that he has done for artists who are at all different talent levels, different locations around the globe, different genders, different age groups, different ethnic backgrounds, etc. We are all so different from each other. The things that bind us are we all belong to this wonderful group that John Seed poured his soul into "EBSQ".  He kept this all together while having a full time job teaching, taking care of a toddler, and surviving cancer." 

Photo is John and daughter Chloe.
 

Dondi Merrriman also contributed these thoughts. "I am delighted that John Seed has been nominated for this award and can think of no person who could possibly deserve it more! John had done all of his work for self-representing artists with no pay for his work or compensation for his time other than the non-monetary rewards of seeing a new art movement sprout and grow into a thriving community of artists with a wide variety of skill levels and styles. Whether a stay at home mother who paints in her spare time or a professional artist who does gallery shows, John has embraced all, and in doing so, he's built bridges to unlikely friendships and support systems, as well as brighter futures for some who may have otherwise, never had the confidence to color the world.

So again congratulations to John Seed, a truly deserving recipient of the Above and Beyond award. We would also like to thank Kim Niles for nominating him as well as everyone else who shared their stories of John Seed with us and made this possible.  I also want to include a link to an image of one of John's digital artworks that is truly spectacular. It is titled Anapurna Dream. 

If you know of someone else who is deserving of the Above and Beyond award send us an email about them.

Robin Reckard