By J.R. Breen
Contributing writer
The fourth Children's Charity Art Auction fundraiser will be held Sunday at Roofers Bar in Itaewon, Seoul.
The event will bring together art world insiders, collectors, enthusiasts, and artists from a variety of backgrounds to benefit organizations serving children and families in crisis situations.
The day's activities will primarily consist of an art auction with work donated by the Seoul Art Collective and various Korean and foreign painters, printmakers and photographers.
The auction will also include live music, a massage therapist providing Tiger Balm massages, a lottery, and food and refreshments. The event begins at 1:30 p.m., with performances starting at 7 p.m.
All money raised will go directly to the organizations themselves, not through an intermediary.
This year, the founders of the Children's Charity Art Auction are expanding their donations to include both the Baan Unrak Children's Village as well as the Nalom Village Elementary School.
Baan Unrak (House of Joy) is a refugee camp based in Thailand near the border with Myanmar and provides shelter and education to women and children fleeing the terrible conditions of forced labor and war. More information can be found at www.baanunrak.org
Nalom Village Elementary School is an underprivileged, rural elementary school in need of books, teaching materials, and sanitary drinking water.
The school of only 130 students is located in Xaythani District on the outskirts of Vientiane, Laos.
This Sunday will mark the first time the school has received aid, the niece of Nalom's head teacher will be present at the auction.
Leader Sue Alexander fell in love with the workers and children of Baan Unrak on a visit to Thailand many years ago, said Zach Eichelberger, an organizer, in an e-mail to The Korea Times.
``She began hosting small auction events for the organization, and from this, one very successful art auction was held last year at the Myongdong Gallery in Seoul,'' he continued. ``For this fundraiser we are teaming up with the Lao Embassy to raise money concurrently for Baan Unrak and the Nalom Village Elementary School.
``So far, Sue's efforts have raised $4,000 for this organization. We are hoping to make this upcoming auction our largest, most successful event to date."
If you would like to donate artwork to the Children's Charity Art Auction, contact Zach at 010-6629-5254, or Sue at 019-695- 2103.
For more information, contact Sue,
, or Gregory at 010-3683-8511.