The Junior Board of Heartland Alliance hosted their 12th Annual Art Against AIDS benefit at the Inter-Continental Hotel Feb. 17. With more than 100 artists each donating a piece of work, some 300 people in attendance, and over $80,000 raised, the event was a huge success.
The money, more than twice last year’s total amount, will go toward funding a network of vital support services for 2,000 people living with HIV/AIDS. Junior Board President Michelle Dycus addressed the crowd to remind them of the severity of the AIDS pandemic and how it affects the Chicago region. She then encouraged patrons to bid on the many paintings and sculptures displayed in the four sections of the silent auction. Ten pieces were also part of a live auction conducted by Steven Zick of Christie’s Fine Art Auctioneers.
In both the silent and live auctions, certain pieces elicited some very spirited bidding, but competition remained friendly and orderly. A number of artists were present, answering questions about their own work and sometimes even bidding on others’. Painter Walter Frydryck explained the materials and complex sequence of processes that went into the creation of ‘The Abstraction Behind Reality’, which was coveted by several guests.
The Heartland Alliance for Human Needs and Human Rights is a service-based organization working with vulnerable populations such as seniors, children, ethnic minorities, the homeless, HIV/AIDS patients, and others. Programs like Every Positive Change and HIV Adherence help with housing and offer intensive medical case management for patients of Heartland’s community health center. HIV Education and Life Preservation Strategy provides prevention support for at-risk individuals. In all, Heartland Alliance has 14 programs designed to assist men and women living with HIV/AIDS.