A silent auction held Saturday night for art work produced by Riverside-Brookfield High School students raised $1,300 that will be donated to a charity for orphans in Africa.
The fundraiser, called Art for Africa, was the project of RB senior Kelly Perfect. Perfect was thrilled by the amount of money the event raised.
“It’s a lot more than I expected,” Perfect said. “It was really awesome.”
The money will be donated to OrphanAid Africa, a charity that helps orphaned children in Ghana and also helps mothers with malaria and AIDS to try to prevent orphans.
More than 60 pieces of art work made by 14 RB art students were auctioned off at the event that was held at the former Lens Gallery space in Brookfield.
The art work included photography, painting, mixed media, ceramics, and fashion
design.
Perfect came up with idea of an art fundraiser for charity when she and other Advanced Placement studio art students visited Northern Illinois University in the winter and learned of an art fundraiser that the university had organized.
Perfect organized almost the entire event herself. She found the location, which was donated by owner Glenn Pacholski.
“It was the perfect space to do it in,” Perfect said.
She put up posters and signs at RB and in store fronts in Riverside and Brookfield advertising the event. Saturday she helped hang the art work.
Perfect chose to raise money for Africa after an AP studio art project designing trading cards about a subject she cared about.
“It seems like it’s kind of neglected,” said Perfect, who will be attending Valparaiso University in the fall.
Saturday night the small gallery was crowded with RB students and a few adults.
Visitors munched on grapes, vegetables and crackers while viewing the art and placing bids in the silent auction.
– Bob Skolnik