(ATLANTA :: 9 December
2009) - It’s become a year unlike any other... Who
could have imagined five artists in 2006
could grow to
nearly 30 in a mere four years?
Actually, it makes a great deal of sense. People want
reliable, hip and engaging home for their generosity, and
hopefully ARTvision accomplishes that goal while
remaining a reliable steward for its end
beneficiary, Positive
Impact. If you don’t know this
organization, you should. They provide crucial
mental-health and prevention services for people in
metro Atlanta living with HIV.
That means the folks who are living with the disease can
be treated with top-tier counseling - and people
*without* it can learn their status and stay negative.
My contributions for this year’s event stand alongside
selections from the nation and the world’s most
accomplished, traveled, seasoned, talented artists. They
give freely of their artistic vision to advance creative
activism - helping to effect change and grow funding
for our
beneficiary.
All bias aside, I can
think of few other places where people can a) make
a donation to
charity, b) take a last-minute
tax deduction AND c) have something to take home - all
rolled up in one package.
The idea for ARTvision came one evening on Dec. 31st,
2005, when we received our fifth bottle of wine as a
thank-you for hosting the New Year’s Eve party. I thought
to myself, “Why not try and channel that goodwill into
something bigger and better?” And so, here we are.
I am consistently humbled by people like Michael Baker
and Michele Segre, both of whom are critical to this
event; my mother, who is showing her work for the second
year (if you haven’t seen her pieces yet, you should,
they rock), and who imparted at least a fraction of her
artistic talent on me; by all of our artists who listened
to the call for collaboration, and demonstrated it in
numerous ways; and the entire O’Connor family, who are
well represented in this year’s event. More on that in a
later post.
If you are on the fence about a purchase, consider this:
we are anticipating passing the $10,000 cumulative mark
this year in funds earned for charitable organizations
throughout ARTvision’s history. Help us blow past that
mark, and in turn, provide PI with some much-needed
end-of-year support!
Yours in artistry - WP
(Photos shown: “Swept Away,” photo-to-canvas,
$195; and “Answered.”,
custom-framed photo on archival paper, single artist
proof, $895)