VENICE FAMILY CLINIC ART WALK & AUCTION RUNS EXCLUSIVELY ONLINE MAY 3–19, 2020 

Venice Family Clinic Art Walk & Auction has moved exclusively to an online art auction for its 41st edition. This year's auction features more than 150 works by nationally recognized contemporary artists. Each winning bid provides essential health care services to Venice Family Clinic's community of 28,000 people in need in Los Angeles.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Venice Family Clinic is working on the front lines to help protect its community and most vulnerable neighbors, 75% of whom live at or below the poverty level, and 16% of whom are experiencing homelessness. The Clinic’s COVID-19 response is focused on continuing medical and mental health care services through telehealth; providing access to food and housing; safely caring for patients with chronic and urgent health needs;and protecting health care workers on the front lines. The Clinic continues to ensure that patients have access to the care they need to get healthy and stay well, regardless of their income, insurance, or immigration status. 

Venice Family Clinic Art Walk & Auction began in 1979 when the Clinic was on the verge of closing its doors because of a lack of funding. A group of Clinic supporters gathered with local artists and created the first art walk to ensure continued essential medical services for the community. Since then, Venice Family Clinic Art Walk & Auction has raised more than $23 million to provide health care to people who might otherwise have nowhere to get the help they need.

The auction will be open for live bidding on May 3-19 via artsy.net/veniceartwalk. It will feature painting, drawing, photography, and sculpture by nationally recognized contemporary artists, including John Baldessari, Gary Baseman, Billy Al Bengston, Kelly Berg, Enrique Martinez Celaya, Corinne Chaix, Greg Colson, Zoe Crosher, Danny First, FriendsWithYou, D.J. Hall, Channing Hansen, Lynn Hanson, Kenny Harris, Claudy Jongstra, Toba Khedoori, Robert Levine, Jens Lucking, T. Kelly Mason, Andy Moses, Ed Moses, Richard Parker, Renee Petropoulos, Astrid Preston, Ed Ruscha, Analia Saban, Kim Schoenstadt, Gregory Siff, The Haas Brothers, Vasa, and many more.

Throughout the online auction, members of the Venice Art Walk Curatorial Committee will host a series of virtual art talks. During these talks, the curators will share thoughts on collecting art, highlight their favorite auction pieces, and engage in conversations with participating artists. Curatorial committee members who are hosting the virtual art talks include Tessa Blumenberg of Gagosian gallery with art writer and educator Jonathan T.D. Neil; Michael Hulett and David Jones of Peter Fetterman Gallery; gallerist Jacquie Israel; and art writer Jori Finkel with artist Kim Schoenstadt. Subscribe to the Clinic's Venice Art Walk email list here for additional details and access to these presentations.

About Venice Family Clinic
Venice Family Clinic is a leader in providing comprehensive, high-quality primary health care to people in need.  Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the Clinic has grown from a small storefront operation into one of Los Angeles’ leading community health centers, providing care to nearly 28,000 men, women and children annually through 14 sites in Venice, Santa Monica, Mar Vista, Inglewood and Culver City. The Clinic leads the way in providing comprehensive and integrated care by creating a one-stop health system that offers multiple services, often at the same locations and same time as primary care appointments. These services include traditional medical care as well as specialty care, dental, mental health, substance use treatment, vision, child development classes, health education, pharmacy, domestic violence counseling, HIV/AIDS services, street medicine for people experiencing homelessness and health insurance enrollment services. For more information, visit venicefamilyclinic.org.

SHARE AND FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
Hashtag:  #VeniceArtWalk #VeniceFamilyClinic
Facebook @venicefamilyclinic
Instagram @venicefamilyclinic
Twitter @VeniceFamClinic