TCNJ student sells artwork for charity
The day an artist sells his or her first piece of work is a memorable one. For Jennifer Kakaletris ’08, that day came in her junior year at a New York City gallery.
The day an artist sells his or her first piece of work is a memorable one. For Jennifer Kakaletris ’08, that day came in her junior year at a New York City gallery.
Visual AIDS, an organization that supports artists with AIDS, held its ninth annual benefit titled Postcards from the Edge. The event featured postcard-sized art created by internationally renowned artists as well as newcomers to the industry. Each piece was sold for $75 and was signed on the back by the artist to maintain anonymity. While all monetary proceeds went to Visual AIDS, Kakaletris still profited from the exhilarating experience of having her work purchased by an admirer of the arts.
“To know that someone else connected with my work and appreciated it enough to purchase it for their collection boosted my confidence as an artist, ” Kakaletris said. “It was also a great feeling to know that I raised money for Visual AIDS in such an awesome way. ”
More than 1,550 artists participated in the event, and, according to Kakaletris, less than 20 percent of the cards were sold while on display in the gallery. The benefit was held at Sikkema Jenkins and Co. in NYC and raised more than $62,000, a 55-percent increase from last year ’s benefit.
Assistant Professor of Art Liselot van der Heijden, who has known about the Postcards from the Edge benefit for years, encouraged students to participate. Hollie Chicalese ’07, Scott Allen ’07, Michelle Nugent ’09, Cody Rounds ’09, Erin Hough ’08, and Lauren Rice ’07 were among several other TCNJ students who participated in the event.
“I am happy students participated,” van der Heijden said. “It was a good opportunity for the students to have their work on display at a major New York gallery and to contribute to a good cause.”
The postcards are still available for purchase for $75 through the Visual AIDS Web site at www.visualaids.org.
Posted on May 8, 2008