Some of the most generous people I know are artists and its wonderful to see what they can accomplish when working together for the greater good. The Art in Hand Project started in Charlotte, North Carolina as a means to help local artists gain exposure and also help the art community give back to the public. The project invites local artists to design standard sized playing cards and curates them to form a one of a kind deck that showcases a variety of local talent. Each piece of art featured in the deck is then offered up for auction with the proceeds going to the artist’s charity of choice. The printed decks will also be offered for sale. This project has traveled to Toronto and now its next stop is Portland. So let’s help Portland artists give back to the community! The cards are offered up for auction at this site. Some of the charities to benefit include, Art on Alberta, The Regional Arts and Culture Council, Mercy Corps, The Oregon Humane Society,Outside In, Young Audiences, Portland City Art, Scrap, p:ear, The Multnomah Arts Council, and Cascade Aids Project.
Here are some of my favorites from the deck:
Two of Diamonds, 5 x 7 pen and ink encaustic painting by Alex Petersen. You can bid on it here.
Joker, and 8.5 x 11 graphic designed by Caitlin Hamilton. You can bid on it here.
8 of Hearts, 24″ X 28″ Acrylic on Birch by Anna Todaro. You can bid on it here.
The Auction is up till May 22, 2010. Here is the link to the bidding site.
This yearly event is put on by Art on Alberta whose whose mission is to promote the Alberta Art District’s distinct cultural identity through art and educational activities. Over 15 blocks of NE Alberta Street will be closed to car traffic to accommodate 150+ artists, craftspeople, music, dance and theater performances, interactive art events along with food and other vendors.
