A fundraiser was held at Stardust Video and Coffee called Art for Haiti. A call for artists went up on Facebook and the response was amazing! I matted a sketch and headed to Stardust to drop it off. Greg Leibowitz was on hand to accept the work and then figure out how to hang it all. By the time I arrived, most of the wall space was covered and some work had to be propped up on chairs. After I dropped of my sketch, I lingered since I didn’t have to be at another sketch location for a couple of hours. I sat back and started to draw the patrons who spend many hours working at laptops and holding long discussions about art and life. The group of men right in front of me were discussing their band and how much work still was needed to finish the album they were working on. The woman seated behind them was knitting a purple and pink scarf with diagonal bands. Others sat reading or writing for the entire time I sketched. A black and white high contrast film noir thriller was playing the whole time on the flat screen TV above the bar.
I ordered some food and watched as some final pieces were hung. Nails were hammered and a drill was used to try and anchor some photos but the wall cement refused to give in to the drill bit. I had to be somewhere else during the actual auction, but I found a photo online that shows my sketch of the broken down Lake Eola Fountain being held up, and a person in the crowd with his hand up, so I feel good knowing it must have sold. Proceeds from all the sales went to the following organizations: Doctors Without Borders, Yele Haiti, and Partners in Health. According to Greg Leibowitz, who organized the event, over $3,500 was raised thanks to the auction. It is inspiring to have been part of an event where so many artists gave so freely to help those in need. Should you still want to contribute a donation contact Greg Leibowitz.
