FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Venice Arts Celebrates 19th Anniversary Gala, Honoring Long-time Friends Karen & Dann Florek and Leigh Johnson & Tom Wright LOS ANGELES, CA – (OCTOBER 23, 2012) 19th Anniversary Gala Saturday, November 3, 2012, 5–8pm 1702 Lincoln Blvd., Venice, CA 90291 On Saturday, November 3, 2012, from 5–8pm, Venice Arts will celebrate its 19th Anniversary with a festive Gala fundraiser at its beautiful, newly renovated gallery and workshop space at 1702 Lincoln Blvd. The event supports Venice Arts’ free art mentoring program for low-income youth and honors long-time friends Karen & Dann Florek and Leigh Johnson & Tom Wright. Actor Tom Wright, and his wife Leigh Johnson have been involved with Venice Arts throughout its 19-year history, and their two children were participants in Venice Arts’ program in its early days. Wright has appeared in numerous television series including “Crash,” as well as the films co-starred in the feature films Barbershop and Barbershop 2: Back in Business, as well as John Sayles’ film “Sunshine State.” In 2001, Wright and Johnson’s son Eamon was among a group that traveled with Venice Arts’ mentors to Durban, South Africa to attend the United Nations’ World Conference Against Racism, Xenophobia, & Related Intolerance as official delegates of the City of Los Angeles, under the auspices of the Human CONTACT: Relations’ Commission. Speaking of his perspective on the Elysa Voshell impact of this and other Venice Arts’ programs on both his own Gallery & Public Programs Manager children and the youth he observed through his many years of 310.392.0846 involvement, Wright says that “I think that Venice Arts does a [email protected] really good job of fostering an individual child’s point of view and getting them to understand that they have value, and that Venice Arts their words and photographs have value and have impact.” 1702 Lincoln Blvd. Venice, CA 90291 Fellow Actor Dann Florek, best known for his role as www.venicearts.org Captain Donald Cragen on Law & Order: SVU, and his wife, www.facebook.com/venicearts.org Photographer Karen Florek, are also longtime Venice Arts supporters. The Floreks have attended Venice Arts’ events and purchased student work, and Karen served as a mentor to Venice Arts’ classes, teaching students alternative photographic techniques. On the impact of Venice Arts on the community, Dann Florek says that “It’s a great thing to be able to have a learning center where you can be there at little or no cost.... Creativity doesn’t belong to any class level specifically. I think one of the most important things is to give people the chance and an opportunity—everybody should have an equal shot at having a chance to express themselves, to see how far they can go, to see what they can do, to discover what they love, and how far they can take it.” Tribute videos made by Venice Arts’ advanced film students focused on the honorees will be screened at the Gala, and student docents will be available to give tours of the silent auction exhibition, which will feature over 70 photographs by world-renowned photographers and Venice Arts’ students. A live auction will include such enticing items as exclusive wines from Slusser Ranch Vineyards and Deloach Vineyards. The winning ticket of Venice Arts’ raffle will be drawn, and the Dann Florek lucky winners will receive an iPod Touch, an Apple gift card, a luxurious cashmere scarf from Kate Kanyon Cashmere, gift certificates to Abbot Kinney restaurants, and more. The Gala also includes a wide selection of hors d’oeuvres and refreshments from local Venice restaurants and businesses; an entertaining program, music Latin jazz singer Birdie Mendoza, and our ever-popular student-run photobooth; student-led docent tours of the Gala exhibition; and the opportunity to support Venice Arts by acquiring a photograph by one of our talented students and world-renowned professional photographers who have generously donated their work to support the organization. For more information, please contact [email protected] or 310.392.0846. Event tickets may be purchased for $175 and raffle tickets for Tom Wright $10 each at www.venicearts.org. Event 19 Sponsors: Abbot Kinney Real Estate by Suzy Frank & Associates, Erik Feig & Susanna Felleman, Peter Fetterman Gallery, Dann & Karen Florek, Bernard Friedman & Lesley Hyatt, The Mark Gordon Company, Heidi Frey Greenwald & Robert Greenwald, Jay Griffith Landscapes, Bob & Cheryl Hayward, Josh Jackson/Great Taste Catering, Mary & Daniel James, Katharine King, LA Art Party, Chris & Leslie Meledandri, Martin Hilton & Elizabeth Morehead, Naylor’s Paint and Wallpaper, Newhouse Seroussi Attorneys, Paradigm Agency, Pardee Properties/ Tami Pardee, Barbara Milliken & Jack Prichett, Tiffany Rochelle/ Pardee Properties, Jonathan Samet & Constance Bidwell Brines, Evander & Judith Schley, Wendy Slusser & Jamie Bruce, Jasmine & Mark Swope, Lynn Warshafsky Renowned Photography Auction: Kwaku Alston, Anne Brigman, Christine Caldwell, Jo Ann Callis, Polly Chandler, Julia Dean, Karen Florek, Gil Garcetti, Scout Hebinck, Barry Holmes, Jim Hubbard, John Humble, Scott Jo, Amanda Konya Keller, Shay McAtee, Douglas McCulloh, Christopher Medak, Diane Meyer, Wynn Miller, Ann Mitchell, Michael Miner, Genaro Molina, Linda Morrow, Leonard Nimoy, Sabine Pearlman, Thomas Petillo, Marissa Roth, Megan Schoenbachler, Dan Shepherd, Aline Smithson, Elisabeth Sunday, Jasmine Swope, Mark Swope, Salvatore Totino, Garrett Yamasaki, Jonas Yip, and David Zentz Food/Auction/Raffle/Framing Sponsors: Abbot’s Habit, Abbot’s Pizza, Akasha, Almond Blossom Bakeshop, Apple, Baby Blues BBQ, La Cabana, Cafe Del Rey, Centanni Trattoria, Deloach Vineyards, Don Francis Conservation Framing/Catherine Francis, Electric Lodge, Elvino Wine Shop, Gjelina, Hal’s Bar and Grill, Hip’tique, Mike Jasorka, Allan Jeffries Framing, Jewel Box Frames, The Juicy Leaf, Kate Kanyon Cashmere, Lincoln Fine Wine, Lucky Brand/Fifth & Pacific, Mosto Enoteca, Pitfire Pizza, Primativo, Saddle Peak Lodge, Safira Designs, Slusser Ranch Vineyards, Tony Photograph Captions, top to bottom: P’s Dockside Grill, Wolfgang Puck Catering, and Venice Farmers Page 1: Market/Jim Murez Julie Cabral, age 19, Untitled, Mentoring & Education Program About Venice Arts Braselino Antonio, age 13, Untitled, from The Venice Arts runs education and mentoring programs in documentary House is Small but the Welcome is Big, Maputo, photography, filmmaking, and multimedia primarily targeting Los Mozambique Angeles area low-income youth. Venice Arts also implements regional, statewide, and international projects with both adults and children; runs the Institute for Photographic Empowerment, a collaboration Page 2: with the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism; Julie Cabral, age 19, Me Photographing Iris, presents exhibitions, public programs, and workshops for adults Photographing Me, Mentoring & Education centered around documentary photography and film at the Venice Program Arts Gallery; and consults on media arts, visual storytelling, and arts education with organizations and groups locally and internationally. To Page 3: find out more about Venice Arts, visit www.venicearts.org. Kate Squires, age 13, Bubbles, Mentoring & Education Program Jeanette Vasquez, age 17, Untitled, Mentoring & Education Program Adrian Martinez, age 16, Untitled, Mentoring & Education Program.