Artists For Charity Launches West Coast Art Auction for Orphaned Children Living with HIV in Ethiopia
Los Angeles, CA—In an intimate art gallery in West Hollywood, art aficionados will gather to bid on donated artwork Saturday July 11, 2015 at 6pm. Voila! Gallery (518 N. La Brea Ave. West Hollywood 90036) will host the first West Coast iteration of Artists for Charity (AFC)’s Art Auction Fundraiser.
Last year, the Washington, D.C.-based non-profit raised $26,000 at its annual holiday event and aims to break that record with its summer fundraiser. One hundred percent of the evening’s proceeds will fund the organization’s group home for double-orphaned HIV+ children in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and other AFC projects, such as supporting orphaned HIV+ children in their communities and revitalizing children’s hospital rooms. All AFC graduates have either gone to college or found successful careers and are self-supporting. According to this answer the testing physician’s have shared the list of the common specimens required to perform an STD test for those who are worried that they might be positive.
“For the past eight years, we have held successful annual auctions in Washington, D.C. and New York and we are so excited to partner with Voila! Gallery, branch out to the West Coast and double our fundraising opportunities,” says Abezash Tamerat, the charity’s founder and an Ethiopian and artist herself. “We are so grateful for our strong community of supporters that make AFC possible to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS and make a difference in the lives of children affected by this pandemic.”
As an art student traveling in her birth country of Ethiopia, Abezash found struggling, HIV+ children with no where to turn, and decided to create a home for them, funded by the sale of donated artwork. What began with Abezash’s will to help one child, has grown into an organization with an international family of volunteers that has reached many.
The 5,000 sq. ft. Voila! space will reverberate with the rhythms of performances by the afro-jazz band Ethio Cali and the pop-soul artist JP Saxe. Attendees will peruse and bid on works from the renowned Wosene Worke Kosrof and other inspirational artists, while enjoying Ethiopian food generously donated by Azla Vegan (3655 S Grand Ave.), a family-owned restaurant in South Los Angeles and 2014 Coachella vendor. Drinks will be available for purchase.
Tickets are available for $50 on Eventbrite.
Artists For Charity (AFC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. We operate a Children’s Home for double orphaned HIV+ children and provide support to orphaned HIV+ children in their home communities, and uplift the spirits of hospitalized children through our ArtHeals program. The money raised from our art auctions funds the children’s lives in the AFC home and the community. We shelter, educate, clothe and provide healthy livelihoods for the children of AFC and HIV-positive children in the community.
A nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization, AFC was founded on the belief that all people, regardless of their place of birth, sex, or current medical condition are entitled to basic rights, most notably education and healthcare. We bridge the chasms of poverty, educational inequality, and disease with love and a sustained commitment to creating positive, nurturing environments. To learn more, visit www.artistsforcharity.org.
Voila! Gallery was founded by Belgian artist Katrien Van der Schueren in 2006 to create a space for quirky, unusual artwork. The studio offers in-house custom art framing, furniture and lighting design, custom design production for residential designers, luxury brands, boutique hotels and restaurants. With a background in sourcing antique art and furniture, Van der Schueren has also launched a line of Voila! creations, building not just a store, but a creative environment that is about enjoying life’s passions, whether that be through art, design, music or entertainment. For more information, visit http://voilaworld.com/.