About Us

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Founded in 2022, Guitars of Hope is a one-of-a-kind charitable fundraising partnership between Bicoastal Media and Pelican Bay State Prison, created to transform artistic talent into hope for communities in need.

What began during the COVID-19 pandemic as an alternative way to support charity soon became something far greater — a powerful story of creativity, rehabilitation, and giving back.

Traditionally, Bicoastal Media Radio Stations hosted live concerts and events benefiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. When the pandemic brought those events to a halt, Thomas “Thom” Hutzell, a Correctional Counselor II Specialist at Pelican Bay State Prison, proposed a new idea to his wife, Rene’ Shanle-Hutzell of Bicoastal Media: a charity guitar auction featuring artwork created by the prison’s talented Mural Artist Team.

Working within rehabilitative programming at Pelican Bay, Thom had witnessed firsthand the remarkable creativity and dedication of the incarcerated artists. These gifted individuals wanted an opportunity to contribute something meaningful to the community through their art — and Guitars of Hope became that opportunity.

With the full support of prison administration, including Warden Jim Robertson and numerous staff members, six acoustic guitars were brought into the institution and entrusted to the Mural Artist Team. The artists were challenged to design and hand-paint six completely original works of art using only photographs for inspiration. Over the course of four months, nine artists collaborated tirelessly, transforming blank guitars into extraordinary pieces filled with imagination, emotion, and purpose.

The excitement surrounding the project spread throughout Pelican Bay State Prison as each guitar slowly came to life — layer by layer, brushstroke by brushstroke.

On March 25, 2022, the first-ever Guitars of Hope collection was auctioned through eBay for Charity, raising an incredible $11,150 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

More than just a fundraiser, Guitars of Hope represents second chances, rehabilitation through creativity, and the positive impact that can happen when communities come together for a greater cause. The project stands as a testament to what can be achieved through collaboration, compassion, and artistic expression.

This initiative would not have been possible without the unwavering support of Pelican Bay State Prison, Bicoastal Media Radio, and the extraordinary dedication of the Mural Artist Team. We are deeply grateful to every artist who contributed their time, passion, and talent to make this vision a reality.

Today, Guitars of Hope continues with the mission of supporting charities through art while inspiring other institutions and organizations to create meaningful rehabilitative and community-focused programs of their own.

It has truly become a win-win-win for the artists, the community, and the charities we serve.