"Before I went to Africa I dreamed of Africa," wrote journalist Frances Schultz when recounting her involvement with the Africa Foundation. She since accomplished going there and expressed an enamored yet nuanced description of the land which is unknown to so many of us: "miraculous, tragic, tranquil, violent, heartbreaking, hilarious. And perhaps above all it is vast: vastly complex, vastly corrupt, vastly mired in problems of many parties’ making."
Although it is difficult to imagine having an effect on such a vast and distant land, the Art for Africa Foundation is not shying away from the challenge. They have organized a truly stellar lineup of participating artists to partake in a charity fundraiser for the Africa Foundation. The fundraiser, held at Sotheby's in New York, will feature more than 50 contemporary American and African artists, including Beezy Bailey, Peter Beard, Alexander Calder, Nick Cave, Nan Goldin, Alex Katz, Nabil Nahas, Andres Serrano, Mary Sibande, Hunt Slonem, and Kehinde Wiley. The proceeds will benefit the Africa Foundation, which "focuses on education, healthcare, and income-generating activities and has financed the building of schools, clinics and centers specifically for orphans and vulnerable children across South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Tanzania, and Kenya." The foundation adheres strongly to its mission of encouraging long-term sustainability and community involvement.
The Art for Africa auction will be held at Sotheby's in New York on Thursday, November 17th, 2011.
