Free Arts was set to hold our annual “Art From the Heart Art Auction” in the spring of 2020 but had to postpone due to COVID-19. A virtual version of the art auction is being planned for October 21-26, 2020. The six-day event will take place fully online and feature the work of approximately 80 local artists. The event is free to attend and will kick off online on Wednesday, October 21 at 6 PM, with a video welcome and toast.
Elizabeth Shabaker, Lisa Portigal, and Lisa Greve are the event chairs and John Randall Nelson is the event’s featured artist.
“We’re hoping Free Arts supporters, the arts community, and general public will participate from the comfort of their own homes,” said Lisa Greve. “We have some wonderful artwork from local artists, and it will be a fun way to learn more about Free Arts’ mission. All of the money raised will go to help homeless, abused, and neglected children get access to resilience-building arts programs.”
This year’s featured artist, John Randall Nelson, is inspired by American Outsider Art. He creates a visual folklore in his collaged paintings and sculptures with a menagerie of figures and symbols, from dancing jackrabbits, to swaggering cowboys and lucky wishbones. His work is held in collections throughout the world including The Disney Corporation in Los Angeles and the Museum of American Folk Art in New York.
Locally you can find his work in the collections of Sky Harbor International Airport, Wells Fargo Bank, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, and many others. He is represented by notable galleries throughout the U.S., including Gebert Contemporary in Scottsdale. Other artists participating include Barbara Rogers, Frank Ybarra, Kristin Bauer, Denise Yaghmourian, Christy Puetz, Jim Waid, Craig Randich, and Candice Eisenfeld.
Invite a friend, grab a cup of coffee or glass of wine, and get ready to enjoy some local art! To register, visit: https://aesaz.co/ELP/FREEARTS20/.
Other Ways to Give:
- Free Arts supporters Lee Obrzut, Dan Ling, Rich Watson, and Eric Lilia donated $10,000 to help Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona purchase laptops, microphones, and cameras for teens who wanted to participate in virtual theater camp this summer. Now, their foundation plans to match the donation during the Free Arts virtual “Art From the Heart” Art Auction. During the six-day auction, supporters will have a chance to “raise a virtual paddle” and have their donation matched, up to $10,000. To make a donation, visit: https://aesaz.co/ELP/FREEARTS20/Donation.
- You can also become a sponsor by visiting: https://aesaz.co/ELP/FREEARTS20/Sponsors/Become.
- Free Arts is recognized by the Arizona Department of Revenue as a Qualifying Foster Care Charitable Organization. Your gift may qualify as a Foster Care Tax Credit. To make a donation, visit: https://www.freeartsaz.org/donate/.
