Last Tuesday night Artists for Peace and Justice kicked off a benefit exhibition titled Fierce Creativity, curated by artists Chuck Close and Jessica Craig-Martin with Bovet 1822 and Vhernier at Pace 57th Street to benefit APJ, an organization started by filmmaker Paul Haggis.
“The spirit of Artists for Peace and Justice is more alive than ever. APJ began in my living room years ago with a different group of artists: writers, actors, and activists from the Hollywood community who stepped up to stand in solidarity with Haiti by committing their time and money for change,” said Haggis in a statement. “Fierce Creativity adds a whole new family of artists to the movement. The works in this collection are bound together by the shared belief that as artists, we must act fiercely in order to create change. I am so grateful to Jessica and Chuck for their vision, leadership, and heartfelt commitment to education as a human right, and to each artist participating in the show. Fierce Creativity would not have been possible without them, nor without our presenting partners and friends Bovet 1822 and Vhernier.”
Close and Craig-Martin brought together dozens of artists, from Lorna Simpson, who contributed a collage called The Bride, to Marilyn Minter, whose Doll Face depicts a close-up of a woman’s lips blowing out smoke, to Alex Katz’s portrait of a woman entitled Katherine.
“It would not have been possible for me to ask people to contribute if I did not believe in the effectiveness of Artists for Peace and Justice and in the new template it brings to the charity world,” said Craig-Martin in a release. “These artworks are the fuel for a simple but powerful weapon: education. It is a cause that I believe all artists should be involved in, as there are none of us who could refute every child's right to a good and free education.”
The event attracted a number of big names who showed up at Pace 57th Street to support the cause, including Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor, Catherine Keener, Sting and Trudy Styler, and Griffin Dunne. If you want to pick up a piece of art or jewelry to support Artists for Peace and Justice, it’s not too late — the charity exhibition runs through October 25. For more information on Fierce Creativity, visit apjnow.org.
For more information on Fierce Creativity, visit apjnow.org.
