Annie Lennox, Tracey Emin and David Bowie are just some of the artists who have donated works for a new auction that aims to raise funds for orphaned and vulnerable children in Africa.
The Africa Foundation is developing the Art for Africa auction, to be held at Sotheby’s on Monday 21 September 2009. For the first time, this auction brings together work from the leading contemporary artists from South Africa and the United Kingdom, in a collaboration to raise funds for orphaned and vulnerable children in Africa. The auction will be preceded by an exhibition of the work at Sotheby’s in London from 16 – 21 September.
In 2001 Beezy Bailey, a South Africa artist, was motivated by the growing number of children orphaned by the AIDS “tsunami” in Southern Africa to put together an Art for AIDS Orphans Auction to support charities that provide foster parenting to the growing number of AIDS orphans. 80 South African artists opened their hearts contributing to what was the biggest contemporary art auction in South Africa, hosted by Stephan Welz and Sotheby’s. This was followed in 2004 by a second auction at Sotheby’s in Johannesburg. These two auctions combined, raised R2.6 million [£200 000].
As these funds were distributed and invested in the care and well-being of literally hundreds of AIDS Orphans, rather than abandon the children he and so many others have worked so hard to support, Beezy approached his friends, Tara and Jessica Getty, Trustees of Africa Foundation, and asked for their help to bring the concept to London, and to a broader and more international audience.
Through their work with Africa Foundation (a registered charity in United Kingdom), Tara and Jessica were motivated to join forces with Beezy, and Art for Africa was born.
Art for Africa carefully identified and approached leading contemporary artists in the UK and South Africa and asked them to contribute a piece of their work – and in some cases a work created especially for the occasion – for sale, by auction, to raise funds for orphaned and vulnerable children supported by Africa Foundation and joint beneficiary, Ikamva Labantu. The contributing artists showcase both long-established contemporary artists as well as a new generation of award-winning, rising stars.
To find out more about the auction, click here.
