When Alka Shrikhande lost her mom to breast cancer in 2006, the question she kept asking herself was whether she would still be alive if the cancer had been detected earlier with yearly mammograms.

In 2008, Shrikhande, a Connecticut resident and Pfizer alumnus, established Maina Foundation, a nonprofit based in Old Lyme whose mission is to increase awareness of breast cancer, promote early detection, and offer financial assistance, where it can, for treatment.

With low overheads, and an all-volunteer staff, almost all the money the organization raises goes towards three areas of support.

Locally, Maina Foundation has donated to Backus Breast Cancer Center in Norwich to assist breast cancer patients in eastern Connecticut through the Backus Hospital Integrative Medicine Program.

In New York, Maina Foundation has been collaborating with the NYC Health and Hospitals Metropolitan Breast Care Center in Manhattan to support breast cancer patients in need, to get advanced diagnostic imaging.

And, in India, the organization has had a significant impact on screening and raising awareness of breast cancer in underserved communities at multiple hospitals in Mumbai, Rishikesh, and Chennai, to name a few.

From October to December this year, in honor of Breast Cancer Prevention Month, Maina Foundation is partnering with artists, both local and national, in its 3rd Annual Online Art Exhibition. Images of the art for sale can be found on the Maina Foundation website, and the list price includes shipping, with no sales tax.

This year, 20% of the proceeds from the art sale will be donated to NYC Health and Hospitals Metropolitan Breast Care Center, toward advanced imaging to provide timely care to underserved and vulnerable populations, regardless of their ability to pay.

Featured artists include Howard Park, a local artist and photographer, who was led by his love of the sea, from Boston, via the L’Ecole d’Art Decorative de Nice, to his current home in East Lyme. In 2001, Howard sailed around the world. He has won numerous awards from the New England Watercolor Society, the Mystic Museum of Art and the Lyme Art Association.

Also on board is Lisa Miceli, a local artist who has won multiple awards for her plein air art with a focus on expressionist watercolors and oils. She has been Influenced by her grandmother, Lucille Gauthier, an illustrator, watercolorist, and a Works Progress Administration artist in the 1930s. Lisa was the winner of the JMW Turner watercolor competition at the Mystic Seaport.

Natalie Sambamurty, a Maina Foundation board member, works with acrylic, watercolors and oil paints. She draws inspiration from wildlife, traditional Indian art and lifestyles, nature, and different cultures of the world. She is passionate about children’s and women’s health.

Laya Joseph, a New York-based artist, is influenced by her botanist background. She works primarily in acrylic and mixed media, and her paintings are mostly abstracts and semi abstracts, expressionistic in style and often rooted in her memories and experiences.

Ritu Khetan, inspired by the beauty of henna art, creates intricate patterns on candles, trays, and home décor. Ritu has introduced the art of henna to students of Carnegie Mellon University, and loves to share the joy of simply “creating.”

Sneha Khetan, an eighth grader from Charlotte, N.C., makes handmade cards and shadow boxes, and is the founder of Sustainable Charlotte, an organization that promotes sustainable living with an aim to educate the public about the climate crisis.

Girish Nair is known for his live painting on stage alongside musicians and other performing artists. Although known for his portraits in oil and color pencils he has a special interest in creating abstracts and theological interpretations. His art has raised more than $60 000 for multiple charitable organizations.

Geeta Pathak transformed innocent doodles in school books to priceless canvases. Life, with all its precious moments of love, angst, heartache, amid playing different roles of daughter, sister, friend, wife, and mother, all came together one day as art became her lifeline. This is why she paints everything and anything she perceives to be “in the moment.”

With the support of the community, Maina Foundation hopes to raise funds to continue its programs and fulfill a mission to raise breast cancer awareness. For information, visit https://mainafoundation.org/. The fundraiser, from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, can be accessed at https://mainafoundation.org/art-main/, with prices ranging from $30-800.

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