[All photos by Chance Yeh for PMc] The non-profit organization Fund Art Now in association with Chair and The Maiden launched last Thursday night at Collective Hardware. Showcasing works of up and comers Ulysses, Anton S. Kandinsk, Brian Reed and, hold your breath, The City's newest addition Zach Hyman, F.A.N seeks to establish a community of artists just like the good ol' days. Well Michelangelo's days anyway...--
Whilst rocking out on the piano with Jason and Carrie Shaltz (F.A.N counts Steinway and Sons as an official sponsor), Zach Hyman was joined by Chair and the Maiden Director John Dabu, F.A.N Board of Director Fabrice Armand, Advisory Board Member John Magzalcioglu and LES Gala Ambassador 2009 Heidi Albertson.
Fund Art Now is a new initiative that will strive to achieve Van Gogh's elusive dream of creating a community among artists, a place where a collaboration of artistic vision and dreams can be realized with the ultimate goal of instituting a "renaissance type resurgence within the Arts community." The non-profit organization will reach out to artists on a global scale and will offer sponsorships to art projects that most conceptualize issues of human nature and then project the artist's vision onto the world stage.
Artwork by the collaborating artists was displayed on the walls at Collective Hardware whilst guests schmoozed, socialized and tinkled away (on the piano, that is). Artist Ulysses, who has donated over 70 pieces of his art to Fund Art Now, included his latest visual art animation The Holy Trinity and work of the delectable Zach Hyman displayed his Decent Exposures, or not so decent, photographs of nudes riding the subways...ahem. Also worth taking a gander at, was Anton Kandinsky's (pure) golden grenade - a symbol of the desires of wealth and global conflict - Kaboom!
Not just a pretty face, the lovely Zach had this to say,
" If I can manage to put a smile on someone's face, create a dialogue, or make one question their own vulnerability or expression, then I have succeeded in doing my job, and this will lead to a more open and accepting world.”
Is this a club that we can join?
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As things started to wind down, CEO of F.A.N David Zelikovsky spoke out to his guests, expressing his optimism for organization and how people could support its growth and development. He voiced that the most important thing is by collaborating through art, socio-political, educational and economic barriers can be broken down and art's value in society reinforced .
John Dabu, John Magzalcioglu, Fabrice Armand Heidi Albertson and Peter Santoro
Zach Hyman Anton S. Kandinsky
Zach Hyman, David Zelikovsky Christopher Quincy, Jeremy Kersaint, Fabrice Armand
Jason Shaltz, Carrie Shaltz,- - --Heidi Albertson, Peter Santoro Zach Hyman
Alessandra Dela Cruz, - - - - - - - -Brian Reed Lauren Washington
Fabrice Armand, Nessy Walker, David Victor Rose, Anne Grauso Donald Sterling