From the Grand Opening of the New Art for AIDS International Gallery [PHOTOS]
Art for AIDS has a new home! Recently, we were proud to officially open our new Head Office and Gallery in One London Place, London Ontario. To celebrate we hosted an open house and welcomed members of the community to pay us a visit and to see some of the stunning artwork produced by young people from around the world in its new setting.
The event was generously sponsored by architects Tillmann Ruth Robinson, Sifton Properties, Moffatt & Powell RONA, the Canadian Auto Workers union (CAW), and Andy Spriet. We would also like to thank our food and beverage sponsors, Ponte Wine and Spirits, Steam Whistle Brewing, and Fare Catering for providing food and beverages for the event.
If you weren't able to join us in London for our grand opening, here are a few photographs courtesy of Dave Chidley from the event. For upcoming events, you can also visit our Events and Exhibits page.
Art for AIDS Grand Opening Photos
View more photos from our new Gallery in Art for AIDS International has a New Home.
Event Sponsors
We would like to recognize and thank the following organizations and individuals for their support in sponsoring our Grand Opening celebration.
Photos courtesy of Dave Chidley
An Evening At Toronto's Ritz-Carlton for Art for AIDS
Recently, we were proud to host "An Evening At the Ritz", an exhibit and fundraiser at Toronto's Residence at the Ritz-Carlton. The event featured a new collection of artwork made by young people from across Canada and Tanzania exhibited in the Ritz's beautiful Sky Lobby alongside black and white photography by award-winning photojournalist Dave Chidley, taken during recent Art for AIDS International workshops in Tanzania.
The event was generously sponsored by the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association (OECTA) and the Canadian Auto Workers union (CAW). We'd like to thank both organizations for their ongoing support and leadership in the community. We would also like to thank our food and beverage sponsors, Ponte Wine and Spirits, Steam Whistle Brewing, and Fare Catering for providing food and beverages for the event, which were enjoyed by over 100 visitors throughout the evening.
Finally, the event would not have been a success without each of our guests who came to learn more about the impact that HIV and AIDS is having in our community and in communities across Africa, and about the work that Art for AIDS International is doing to help stop the spread of HIV through art and education. As a result of your support and enthusiasm, the event raised over $10,000. These funds will help us continue to engage young people across Canada and abroad in our educational workshops, and will benefit directly our partner organizations in Africa, who provide care and support services to women and children affected by HIV and AIDS in their communities.
If you weren't able to join us in Toronto, here are a few of the photos taken by Dave Chidley during the event.
Event Sponsors
About OETCA
OECTA is a teachers’ association that represents 45,000 professional women and men who teach all grades in publicly funded English Catholic schools in Ontario. Through support from OECTA, Art for AIDS International has brought important educational programming to young people from across Ontario and to school communities in East Africa.
About CAW
The Canadian Auto Workers union is one of the largest private sector unions in the country with approximately 193,000 members from coast to coast to coast. CAW has been a close friend and partner of Art for AIDS International since we began working with Canadian youth to raise awareness about the impact of HIV and AIDS in their own community and in communities around the world.
To learn more about upcoming Art for AIDS International events in your community, visit our Events and Exhibits page. You can also contact us if you'd like to learn more about hosting an event or exhibit in your community.
Welcome To The New Art For AIDS International Website
Dear Friends,
I am excited to welcome you to the new, mobile-friendly, Art for AIDS International website. Over the last few weeks, our volunteers have worked hard to find new ways to share our story with all of you online, along with some of the incredible works of art made by young people during Art for AIDS workshops. In addition to creating more space to share our photographs and blog posts, we've made it easier than ever to browse, share, and purchase Art for AIDS artwork - all in support of programmes that benefit women and children affected by HIV and AIDS in some of the communities most affected by the epidemic.
[box type="alert" icon="none"]In recognition of our new website, we're offering free shipping on our prints throughout the month of May. Type "NEWSITE" in the "Apply Coupon" field of your shopping cart before you checkout.[/box]
We'll be adding more new prints to our online Gallery and Shop and some exciting features that are still in the works. If you have any suggestions for other new features or information you'd like to see on our site, please don't hesitate to contact us.
I would like to offer my thanks and appreciation to our visitors for taking the time to learn more about what we are doing to engage young people in the global response to AIDS though education and the arts.
Sincerely,
Hendrikus Bervoets
Executive Director
Art for AIDS International
Photo Courtesy of Dave Chidley
Art for AIDS International has a New Home
In 2009, Art for AIDS International opened the doors of its first public gallery and Head Office, in the lower level of a Dundas Street building in London, Ontario's downtown core. It was a space that for four years saw many exciting events and exhibits, hosted thousands of members from the local and international community, and held inventory for international exhibits and AIDS awareness campaigns hosted at the Apartheid Museum, UN Agencies like the World Food Programme and IFAD, and countless galleries, universities, colleges, and secondary schools. Most importantly, with our growing team of volunteers, it was the space where we planned workshops that reached over 10,000 young people in 13 countries with important information about health and community involvement.
Since 2009, we've worked to grow our reach, and our team of volunteers has grown with it. While our gallery and office at 242 Dundas Street was for many people home, we decided in late 2012 that it was one we had outgrown; and so the search began. Thankfully, with tremendous support from our board and members of the local community, the search was a short one and by December 2012, we had found and moved into our beautiful, spacious new location, just around the corner, in One London Place.
Today, we're happy to share some of the first photos from our new space with you. We would also like to thank all of our volunteers, our board, and the fantastic staff at One London Place and Sifton for their hard work and support in helping us prepare the space, set it up, and get settled.
New Gallery Photos
Our new HQ and Gallery is located at One London Place, 255 Queens Ave, Suite 250 in London, Ontario. Please come by to visit. We have public viewing hours from 11 AM - 5 PM Tuesday to Friday, or by appointment.
Art for AIDS International at the ISU World Figure Skating Championship
As part of our dedication to connecting young people with their global community, a large part of Art for AIDS International’s work highlights the importance of being an active local citizen. That is why we are proud to participate in the 2013 ISU World Figure Skating Championships, taking place this week in our base city, London, Ontario, Canada.
This is the first time the City of London is playing host to the World Figure Skating Championships, and the tenth time a Canadian city has been chosen to host the competition since 1896. From March 11 to March 17, the 200 best athletes in figure skating representing 50 countries will compete in London’s Budweiser Gardens not only for world titles in four disciplines but also for spots in the Sochi Winter Olympic Games held in Russia in 2014.
To commemorate the 2013 World Championship, Art for AIDS International, in partnership with Tourism London, is giving each participating athlete a limited edition print created by First Nations students from the Northern Ontario communities of Moosonee and Moose Factory. In February 2013, Art for AIDS hosted workshops at schools in both communities, and the result was truly Canadian works of art that demonstrate the passion and potential of Canadian youth.
We are extremely grateful to the City of London and Tourism London for inviting Art for AIDS International to partner with them on such a momentous occasion. This collaboration represents our commitment to forging partnerships at the local, national, and international level, and gives us the opportunity to share our message with a global audience.
It also represents an exciting achievement for the young students of Moosonee and Moose Factory, whose talent will be the centre of attention when their work is put in the hands of some of the most famous figure skaters in the world. Without a doubt, the 2013 World Figure Skating Championships is a pivotal moment for everyone involved, and we are honoured to be a part of it.
Growing Up With Art for AIDS International
This post was written by Art for AIDS Workshop participant, and long-time volunteer Serena Merucci.
My journey with Art for AIDS International began when I was a fourteen-year-old grade eight student from Strathroy Community Christian School in 2006. Our art teacher contacted Art for AIDS in order to do a workshop for one of our art assignments. Our teacher told us about this organization the week before our workshop was scheduled and we were all quite intrigued as my classmates and I were never fully aware of the AIDS pandemic and how awful it truly is. I clearly remember coming in from recess the day of the scheduled workshop, sitting down at my desk and seeing this strange white-haired man standing at the front of our classroom with our art teacher. When we all quieted down, he introduced himself as Hendrikus Bervoets and began snapping his fingers in a steady rhythm.
“Every time I snap my fingers, someone, somewhere in the world dies from AIDS,” he said in a solemn voice.
We were shocked; there was a dead silence throughout the classroom for a good thirty seconds before Hendrikus starting talking again. He then proceeded to tell us about the AIDS pandemic in Africa and how Art for AIDS International’s mission was to help those affected by HIV and AIDS. After his short speech he told us about how we could help the cause by making collages and selling them in order to raise money for those who needed it most. We were all thrilled that we could actually help and the mood in the classroom changed significantly. Everyone became increasingly engaged. For the next two art classes, we had a great time making collages.
Pieces were then selected from our class’ work to be printed and then sold. We organized a small fundraiser in our school gym after the collages were printed so family members could come out and buy their children’s artwork.
At that point in time I was aspiring to be an artist, and for the first time in my life someone was buying my art. I was so thrilled by the idea that I was an actual artist now, as well as I was able to help people affected by HIV and AIDS in Africa by raising money for organizations that provided them with care and support.
Two years then past from my first encounter with Art for AIDS and I never forgot about them. When I was in grade ten at the London District Christian Secondary School, an announcement was made that Art for AIDS was coming to do a workshop at the high school and all who wanted to participate had to sign up. I was sick on the day of the announcement and when I got back to school a friend of mine, who was in the same grade eight class as me, told me about the workshop and I was thrilled. I asked my teacher if I could leave class to go sign up in for the workshop and I was devastated to learn that it was already full. I rushed to the office and begged to be allowed to participate. Luckily, our kind secretary somehow managed to squeeze me in and I am still forever grateful to her. I was able to participate in the workshop and I made new collages that were printed and sold in the new gallery space that Art for AIDS had recently opened. This was another boost for my artistic aspirations.
It was after this workshop in 2008 that I began volunteering for Art for AIDS. For the next two years, I volunteered regularly at the gallery on a weekly basis and helped run Art for AIDS booths at events and festivals.
I am now in my second year at Western University where I am completing my undergraduate Bachelor’s degree in Art History, Theory and Criticism.
The influence Art for AIDS has had on my life over the past seven years has been dramatic and profound.
Through this organization I have become more confident, not only as an artist, but as an individual as well. I credit Art for AIDS for helping me become the passionate and determined person I am today.
Art for AIDS selected as Finalist for Pillar Community Innovation Awards
Each year, the Pillar Nonprofit Network recognizes organizations and individuals that demonstrate innovation, leadership, and collaboration within the not-for-profit sector through the Pillar Community Innovation Awards. This year, we are proud to announce that Art for AIDS International has been recognized as a finalist for Community Innovation alongside two other London-based programs.
Previous Pillar Community Innovation Award recipients include Habitat for Humanity, the Boys' and Girls' Club of London, and Meals on Wheels. We would like to sincerely thank Pillar Nonprofit Network for recognizing our work, and to all other nominees for their commitment and dedication to the London and surrounding community.
The final award ceremony will take place on November 13, 2012 from 6:30-9:30 PM in the London Convention Centre. For more information on the event, or to view the full list of finalists under each category, please visit Pillar's Community Innovation Award website.
Art for AIDS Opens Online Gallery and Shop
All of us at Art for AIDS International are proud to announce that we have just launched our new online shop!
With this is a new and exciting feature we will be able to showcase and share the tremendous work that students produce during our workshops and make those works available to a broader global audience. Just like in our physical gallery, new prints will be regularly added and rotated through our online gallery, so stop by frequently to see and purchase new artwork.
Each print is part of a limited edition and has been hand-signed by the artist. The artwork is created during Art for AIDS International workshops with students from various countries including Canada, Zimbabwe, South Africa, the Netherlands and more that address the impact that HIV and AIDS is having on communities across Africa and around the world.
For just $30 you can purchase a piece of beautiful art as well as give back with proceeds supporting Art for AIDS parnter projects in sub-Saharan Africa working with women and children affected by HIV and AIDS.
Coupon Code
We are also pleased to announce that the first 100 orders will receive $10.00 off their total purchase. Just enter "NEWSHOP" as the coupon code in the shopping cart before you check-out.
Thanks to everyone for your continued support. Please let us know what you think of the new online gallery by leaving a comment below. We will continue to update it, and add new prints and features in the weeks to come.
An Ode to the Art for AIDS volunteer team
As an organization that relies on volunteer support, Art for AIDS International is happy to acknowledge the amazing work our volunteer staff has been doing. The passion they have been showing as of late has been nothing short of inspiring. Since we are so fond of our volunteers, we decided that we wanted to show them off. Please meet a few members of our team: Brittany, Nicole, Madeline, Josinah, and Jessica. Read more
Working at Art for AIDS INTERNational
The following post was written by Kate Hoad-Reddick, student intern at Art for AIDS International.
Alex and I have been working as Interns at Art for AIDS International for just over three months now. While our placements are almost over, our relationship with Art for AIDS International will be long-lasting. Since our first day, Art for AIDS International has been a warm and stimulating place to work. The passion of Founder and Executive Director, Hendrikus Bervoets and the dedicated volunteers has been contagious. We have also been tactfully mentored from abroad by JP Bervoets. JP has been amazing to work with and has introduced us to the world of Art for AIDS International.
So, what have we been up to recently?Read more