Hundreds of Donated Artworks Exhibited and Auctioned to Fund Innovative Healthcare Services for Over 45,000 People in Need. Charles Gaines Honored as the Signature Artist
By Staff Writer
To celebrate its 44th year of showcasing and auctioning hundreds of donated artworks in support of the nonprofit community health center, the Venice Family Clinic Art Walk + Auction will be held at a new location at RUNWAY Playa Vista from April 18 to May 19. The event brings together artists, gallerists, and collectors to help Venice Family Clinic promote health equity through the sale of artwork. The proceeds from art sales fund the Clinic’s innovative and integrated approach to providing comprehensive health care services to more than 45,000 people across Santa Monica Mountains to the South Bay.
The exhibition, which will feature works from established, mid-career, and emerging artists, will take place in a 7,000-square-foot gallery space at RUNWAY Playa Vista, located at 12746 W. Jefferson Blvd., Number 3170, Playa Vista, CA. The exhibition is open to the public, free of charge, from April 18 to May 19.
The online auction will begin on April 18 at noon PDT and will close on May 4 at 7 p.m. PDT. The public can view and bid on the works online at Artsy.net.
John Geresi, Chair of the auction Curatorial Committee and former Venice Family Clinic Board Chair stated that the new location provides an opportunity to engage new and existing supporters of the Venice Family Clinic in the growing Playa Vista community, which is located at the intersection of the historic Westside sites and recently merged clinics in the South Bay. He also stressed that the event is the Clinic’s most visible fundraiser and the support it generates is crucial to maintaining the Clinic’s leadership position in providing comprehensive care to people in need, regardless of their income, access to insurance, or immigration status.
This year’s Signature Artist is Charles Gaines, an educator, philanthropist-activist, and a pivotal figure in the history of conceptual art. Gaines retired from the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) after more than 30 years on the faculty and established a fellowship to provide critical scholarship support for Black students in the Master of Fine Arts program. Gaines expressed his pride in joining the staff, donors, volunteers, artists, and activists of the Venice Family Clinic, who work tirelessly to dismantle health inequities and provide healthcare for all. Other artists donating to the benefit auction include John Baldessari, Billy Al Bengston, Tyler Christopher Brown, and many more.
For more information about the event and the artists, please visit Venice Art Walk.
