A charity art auction held at Paramount Studios October 2 brought
in $250,000 to fund art enrichment programs for children in crisis at
Hollygrove http://www.hollygrove.org. The 24 large-scale paintings,
which were auctioned by Guy Bennett, head of Christie´s Impressionist
and modern art, were created by 6- 13-year-olds in treatment at
Hollygrove. Hollygrove has been helping children and families in the
Los Angeles area for 127 years.
More than 250 guests dined under the stars at Paramount Pictures
in Hollywood as prices reached as high as $45,000 for a painting
called "Fade Away" by 11-year-old Genesis Villacorta. The auction was
the culmination of a year-long project sponsored by Love & Art
Children´s Foundation http://www.loveandart.org and the Audrey Hepburn
Children´s Fund http://www.audreyhepburn.com.
"For many years Hollygrove has been committed to using the arts to
help kids discover their unique talents. Watching these children grow
and bloom over the last year has been amazing," said Martine Singer,
executive director of Hollygrove. "This experience changed kids´
lives, and in the process made everyone aware of their needs as well
as their potential."
Love & Art brought their unique program to Hollygrove - working
with children one-on-one to help them create the beautiful art works
out of paint, glitter, gems of all sizes, spackle, small toys and
more. The 6x4-foot painting for which the project was named,
"Enchanted," features roses, marbles, feathers and butterflies against
a painted background of gold, pink, yellow, blue and green paint and
sparkles. Eleven-year-old Oscar Moran writes in the catalog," I felt
so happy doing (Enchanted) because I could bring part of my
personality into it. I just found out I have a wild imagination that I
like sharing with people."
The Audrey Hepburn Children´s Fund, dedicated to children´s causes
around the world centering on education, abuse and neglect, was
instrumental in bringing Love & Art to Hollygrove.
Hollygrove, an EMQ Children & Family Services agency, provides
vital mental health and family supportive services to LA´s at-risk
children. We are recognized for innovative, family-centered programs
that help children recover from crisis and rebuild their lives. Our
mission is to do whatever it takes to help children, strengthen
families, build community and advocate for systems change to ensure
that families thrive. More information can be found at
http://www.hollygrove.org.