Supporters came out in the aftermath of Philly's historic blizzard to place bids in our Haiti Benefit art show.
On Saturday, February 13, arts patrons had the chance to purchase works at affordable prices while simultaneously getting behind a terrific cause. Responding to the recent disasters in the country of Haiti, we quickly organized a benefit art show and silent auction. The opening reception and silent auction at our Powelton Village location raised $930 for the work of Partners In Health, a reputable relief organization that has been working in Haiti for over 20 years. Additionally, we took advantage of a matching grant through the Firland Foundation in Washington State, and effectively doubled our donation to $1860.
Utilizing our contacts in Philadelphia’s art community and beyond, plus the newer social mediums of Twitter and Facebook, we were able to receive donations from nearly two dozen artists from around the country within a matter of a week-and-a-half. The opening reception and silent auction was a festive event that featured free pizza donated by neighboring Powelton Pizza.
Green Line co-owner Douglas Witmer, himself and artist and contributor to the show, said the idea for the event came from Ketch Wehr, also an artist and a member of the Green Line staff. “When Ketch suggested it, I knew immediately it was something we could get behind and pull off quickly. We started working our contacts and a few hours later we already had commitments of artwork from artists in Philly, New York, and San Francisco.
A few days before the event we displayed a gallery of the available work on its Facebook fan page and began to collect advance proxy bids via email. Witmer said the winning bids received online accounted for just under half of the proceeds raised.
When the bidding closed at 4pm, each of the 34 donated artworks had been sold for prices ranging from $5-$100. Witmer said, “we’re incredibly grateful to the people who lent their support and creative energy to the effort.”
The artworks will be on display at the Green Line | Powelton Village, 3649 Lancaster Avenue, until the first week of March.
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