44th Annual Venice Family Clinic's Artwalk & Auction April 18-May 4

The 44th Annual Venice Family Clinic's Artwalk and Auction is proud to announce the new "Emerging Artists" program with renowned Art Curator, Leslie Fram. The event is free & open to the public and the art and auction are accessible on line.
The event will be held April 18 through May 4, 2023.
The event will be exhibiting and auctioning hundreds of donated artworks to support the nonprofit community health center. Artists, gallerists and collectors will unite to help Venice Family Clinic advance health equity through the sale of artwork. Proceeds from art sales help fund the Clinic’s comprehensive health care services to more than 45,000 people.
The month-long exhibition will feature works from established, mid-career
and emerging artists in a 7,000-square-foot gallery space at RUNWAY Playa Vista, 12746 W. Jefferson Blvd., Number 3170, Playa Vista, CA. The exhibition is free and open to the public. It will conclude May 19. Hours of operation and more information are available at venicefamilyclinic.org/veniceartwalk. The online auction will begin at noon PDT on April 18 and close at 7 p.m. PDT on May 4. The public may view and bid on the works online at Artsy.net/veniceartwalk.
I sat down with Art Curator, Leslie Fram, to ask her about the event.
WHAT IS NEW FOR VENICE FAMILY CLINIC’S ART WALK + AUCTION THIS SPRING?
For 2023, Venice Family Clinic is dedicating an area to LA-based emerging artists within their 44th annual Venice Family Clinic Art Walk + Auction event. This new program is exciting as it showcases young talent from regional art schools as well as artists from around the world who elect to move to L.A. to practice. Our city has developed into a fully-fledged hub for fine arts creatives. By highlighting new emerging artists, Venice Family Clinic is offering collectors the opportunity to discover and support local emerging talent—for many, this process is exhilarating.

WHY L.A.?
Within the past few years, Los Angeles has arrived as a world-class art destination, specifically for contemporary art. The heavy concentration of graduates of best-of-breed art schools (ArtCenter, UCLA, USC’s Roski, Otis, CalArts, etc.), the exponential growth in respected art galleries opening here, an enthusiastic and sophisticated collector base, and now hosting major art fairs such as Frieze and Felix-- these factors have propelled L.A. onto the MUST visit on any art itinerary.

TELL US ABOUT THE HISTORY OF VENICE FAMILY CLINIC ART WALK + AUCTION
It is an extraordinary backstory, beginning over 40 years ago, when artists living in Venice Beach — we’re talking founders such as the esteemed John Baldessari, Frank Gehry and Ed Ruscha,— came together to donate artwork for an auction that raised funds to help pay for medical care for those in the community who couldn’t afford it. Today, that single non-profit medical clinic has grown to 17 facilities that serve people from the Santa Monica Mountains through the South Bay, as well as street medicine teams and two mobile units supporting people who are unhoused. Thanks in part to the success of its annual Venice Family Clinic Art Walk + Auction– last year it raised over $675,000 – the Clinic is able to provide comprehensive, high-quality primary healthcare to more than 45,000 people in need annually.

IT’S INTERESTING HOW VENICE FAMILY CLINIC LINKS HEALTH SERVICES AND ART
Venice Family Clinic understood the connection between art and their community’s well-being decades ago. We know art as an agent for social change is more relevant today than ever; but Venice Family Clinic has been pioneering in this regard. Art and activism are inextricably bound in the Venice Family Clinic Art Walk + Auction. The artists who participate recognize the importance of living in a healthy city—this is the foundation not only for a thriving art world ecosystem but also for people in that city to thrive.

As this year’s signature artist, Charles Gaines stated, “Centuries of racism have caused significant disparities in health outcomes among Black and Brown people. If we are going to heal–as individuals, as communities, and as a country–we must confront this truth with compassion and action. I’m proud to join Venice Family Clinic staff, donors, volunteers, artists and activists who work tirelessly to dismantle health inequities and provide health care for all.”

HOW ARE EMERGING ARTISTS REACTING TO THIS NEW PROGRAM?
They are thrilled to participate. These young artists are selected to be part of a curated group representing the best of LA’s creatives. During the exhibition and auction, these inaugurals will be featured together in a designated space, adjacent to the main auction. They are very excited to have their work featured alongside this year’s Signature Artist – the incomparable Charles Gaines – as well as works by artists such as: Ai Weiwei, Ed Ruscha, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Raymond Pettibon, Alex Prager, and many more.

There is also the rewarding feel-good component: knowing that the sales of their artwork will directly fund health care to people in our community who need it. Goodwill for a worthy cause makes for a happy event. You can actually feel the enthusiasm at the opening and closing night parties.

And of course, these artists benefit from exposure to a huge base of private collectors and gallerists. Venice Family Clinic Art Walk + Auction markets the artists to a broad network, so it is a win-win scenario all around.
LESLIE FRAM'S 2023 EMERGING ARTISTS LIST:
Alex Anderson
Jessica Taylor Bellamy
Jackie Castillo
Aussi Chen
Pui Tiffany Chow
Nehemiah Cisneros
Gabriel Cohen
Sophronia Cook
Amina Cruz
Downtown Daniel
Ross Doyle
Sharif Farrag
Saj Issa
Annika Klein
Gabriel Madan
Daniel Arthur Mendoza
Aryana Minai
Edgar Ramirez
Roksana Pirouzmand
Hannah Lupton Reinhard
Mia Scarpa
Joseph Sherman
Joaquin Stacey-Calle
Mia Weiner
Avery Wheless
Mika Yokota
Amia Yokoyama

INFO
The Venice Art Walk Gallery will be at Runway Playa Vista, 12746 W Jefferson Blvd #3170, Playa Vista. It’s free to attend and will be open to the public from April 18 through May 4. Learn more at venicefamilyclinic.org/veniceartwalk