Improving the lives of HIV-AIDS patients, Orphans and street children through art in Uganda
Over 100 contemporary paintings and prints from seven top Ugandan artists will be featured in an exhibition at Berkeley Arts Festival Gallery Nov 5-30. The artwork is bold, colorful and surprisingly reasonably priced. A great place to shop if you are looking for some beautiful artwork for your home, office or for gifts.
Grand opening of the exhibition will be Saturday Nov. 5, 10AM to 5 PM and Sunday November 6, 1 PM to 5 PM; other times by appointment.
The shows sponsor, Uganda Art Consortium, was formed to use art to improve the lives of society's victims including growing numbers of HIV-AIDS patients, orphans and street children.
The seven artists in the group devote major time and energy in providing art therapy for hospital patients and free children's art workshops.
In 2014 the group built a Children's Art Center in a converted shipping container to provide a studio and gallery for budding child-artists in Namungona, a chronically poor neighborhood near Kampala. After school and on weekends, the center is mobbed usually with kids wielding paintbrushes, tie-dying fabrics, and making beaded jewelry.
Since 2008, over 1,000 HIV-AIDS patients at Mulago Hospital have benefitted from the art therapy sessions provided by the artists, and over 2500 children have joined the children's art workshops.
Almost all the money raised through art sales and donations ends up in Uganda, with only 15% administrative costs. There are no paid employees. When an artwork is purchased, half the proceeds go to the artist as income, the other half is donated to buy art supplies and cover other costs of running the workshops and art therapy. The artists are not paid for conducting the workshops.
10am to 5pm, 2133 University Ave.
Sing 3-part modern a cappella with lush harmonies and cool rhythms. Loads of fun and only a 2-hour commitment. Learn by ear or read a score. Choose an easy part, or take a solo and beat out optional body percussion. For adults and kids over 8 who like to sing. No audition or performance. 1st Saturdays of every month. Come regularly or occasionally. New uplifting repertoire each month.
$20 at the door.
Scholarships: email [email protected] beforehand
3:30pm to 5:30pm, 2020 Addison Street
$26 adv / $28 door. 644-2020. www.thefreight.org
8pm, Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse, 2020 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA, United States