Arty milk cans raise cash for kids
7 June 2004
An art campaign sponsored by Clover has raised R150 400 for the Peninsula School Feeding Association (PSFA) to assist them with feeding over 86 000 children per day.
Sixteen milk cans, transformed into works of art by well-known local artists, including two cans decorated with the paintings of Western Cape school children, were auctioned off at the Association for Visual Arts (AVA) Gallery in Cape Town on 26 May.
Contributing artists were Beezy Bailey, Cecil Skotnes, Willie Bester, Tyrone Appollis, Francine Scialom Greenblatt, Jill Trappler, Louis Jansen van Vuuren, Selwin Pekeur, Arlene Amaler-Raviv, Kevin Brand, Mark O'Donovan and Paul du Toit.
In addition, craft collective Hand and beader Khoni Mdludli each decorated a can using colourful beads and intricately beaded wire.
Two of the cans featured collages made up of reproductions of drawings by children from 80 Western Cape primary schools where Clover ran a children's art
competition.
The artistically re-worked aluminium milk cans, on display at the AVA Gallery in the lead-up to the auction, attracted much attention, due both to their novelty and to their artistic value.
PFSA fundraiser Rosemary Kahn said all 16 milk cans were sold, with Clover buying six. "The turnout was excellent, with people spilling over into the street", Kahn said. "In addition to the number of companies that attended, we also had several private buyers and art lovers at the auction."
Companies that attended the auction included Investec, African Nova, Joe Public and FCB Redline.
The Peninsula School Feeding Association has been feeding primary school children in the Western Cape for 46 years.
Until 1994 this was managed entirely through public funding, and later with the help of a government grant. However, says Kahn, fundraising is essential as more and more children depend on the scheme, which provides many with their only meal of the
day.
The Association for Visual Arts (AVA) is a non-profit, membership-based arts association which promotes visual arts and artists, and seeks to uplift disadvantaged art communities.
The AVA's Artreach programme assists emerging artists with materials, workshops, framing and sponsored exhibitions in its special gallery space, the Artstrip.
Source: Clover SA
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