DUBUQUE, Iowa-- Through the eyes of people at Dubuque's Multicultural Family Center, 5-year-old Zoey Pike is pretty impressive. She's a top notch artist.
But through Zoey's eyes, the most impressive thing in the world is everybody in it.
"Her heart is just so big, and her mind is just so open," says Zoey's mom, Kayla Pike.
First came Zoey's wonder.
"She's had this curiosity, this intense curiosity since she was born," says Kayla.
Then came Zoey's ability to see art in everyone and everything.
"She says she started painting in her baby food, her finger painting," says Kayla.
And it was at the Dubuque center where Zoey decided to combine her wonder and her art.
"We were at the India event here. It was for India Independence Say. At the end they were like, you know, people give us money sometimes so we can continue to do programs like this. And she just ran up," says Kayla.
Now when Zoey makes new friends, she draws them. She's drawn a lot of friends, actually, all over the state. Zoey travels to Davenport, Iowa for art festivals where she sets up an old school desk, sits, and does portraits of everyone who sits in front of her.
When Zoey makes a new portrait, she donates her profits back to her Dubuque multicultural center. From the three festivals she's attended, she's raised more than $200 to continue the effort to celebrate the fact that everyone she meets and draws is unique.
"It brings hope when you have a world that there's a lot of division, but you see a five year old who wants to use art to bring people together," says Dubuque resident and Zoey's subject for the day, Anderson Sainci.
"Everyone can be a friend, you just have to say hello," says Kayla.
Take it from Zoey, there's beauty in everyone. Sometimes you just have to adjust your focus.
Zoey is the youngest donor the Dubuque Multicultural Family Center has ever had.
To follow Zoey's journey, use the hashtag, #GiveLikeZoey .
