About us

Hi, we are Dane Burkhart and Ann Lemon (the parents of the artist Amos Lemon Burkhart). Sadly, Amos died tragically at 19, drowning in an accident fueled by a combination of Xanax and alcohol. “Lemon” was a driven young artist who created hundreds of paintings, works on paper, digital art, and animations between the ages of 15 and 19. Awarded a full scholarship in animation by the prestigious California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), and eventually deciding to attend Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, MA, he never made it to art school

He briefly studied life drawing at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and experimental animation at CalArts, as well as in high school art classes. In his own studio in a barn, Lemon restlessly worked to understand and express his own turbulent interior life in images, text, sound and motion

The complexities of emotional lability, anxiety, and trauma, questions about love, sex and gender identity, and issues around substance use and abuse are revealed in his complex, layered images. A ceaseless observer of the quirks and oddities of the human race, Lemon’s wit, humor, and despair are all right there in his work - if you look closely enough.

Upon discovery and inventory of the astonishing number of works he left behind, we attempt to honor his memory by making his work available to public view, while also engaging audiences to “see, feel, make, learn, play and reflect” at a hands-on participatory exhibit that explores the issues that shaped his life and death.

In addition, we have established endowed scholarships to assist young artists with college tuition and the costs of substance abuse treatment.

Our Foundation is a registered 501(c)3 organization. For now, we have an all-volunteer board, and a dedicated staff of paid interns. We will be breaking ground (well, renovating ground) on a gallery and community center in Mohnton, PA - stay tuned!

“The world is big, and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark.” - John Muir