VENICE FAMILY CLINIC’S INAUGURAL HEART (HEALTH + ART) GALA TO HONOR MORLEIGH STEINBERG and U2’S THE EDGE

 Evening Supporting the Clinic’s Vital Innovative Health Services to take place Saturday, May 11 in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES, CA (March 14, 2024) – Today Venice Family Clinic, a non-profit community health center that provides quality health care to people in need, unveiled plans for the inaugural HEART Gala.  Venice Family Clinic’s HEART (Health + Art) initiative represents a community that cares about health, art, creativity, and social justice. For the first time, influential creatives, philanthropists, and celebrities will unite to celebrate the HEART community, as well as honor the individuals that make the Clinic’s vital health care services possible, with the support of The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation as gala sponsor. Longtime supporters of Venice Family Clinic, artist Morleigh Steinberg and musician The Edge, will receive the first-ever HEART Award at the event on Saturday, May 11, 2024 at 3Labs in Culver City, CA.

“The HEART Gala is rooted in celebrating the creative community that drives Venice Family Clinic. We’re excited to recognize the deep legacy of imaginative and innovative people partnering with us to champion health care access for all, and to have the opportunity to raise funds for the Clinic’s much needed programs and services,” said Naveena Ponnusamy, Venice Family Clinic’s Chief Development and Communications Officer.

Morleigh and The Edge said, “It’s a privilege to accept the first-ever HEART Award from Venice Family Clinic, an organization that resonates with us, and we are looking forward to an unforgettable evening to honor what we can all accomplish together.”

Morleigh and The Edge exemplify the spirit of HEART through their passion for the arts and health equity. Morleigh is a second generation Angeleno, dance artist, creative consultant and Co-Founder of ARCANE Space, a gallery in Venice where she gives emerging artists the opportunity to exhibit their work. Morleigh has toured the world extensively with her own dance companies and has made work for many renowned artists including U2, who she has been working with as a creative consultant since 1992. The Edge, best known as lead guitarist for the legendary rock band, U2, is a musician, singer, and songwriter. Morleigh and The Edge recently returned from Las Vegas where U2 have just completed a 40 night run of ‘U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere,’ the pioneering show which brought music, art and technology together to create an unparalleled immersive live music experience, another first-of-its-kind from the Irish band. Both enthusiastic supporters of the Venice Family Clinic Art Walk + Auction, Morleigh has opened ARCANE Space for studio tours during Venice Art Walk and The Edge has donated photography to be displayed and sold in the benefit auction.

Health and art have been interwoven in the culture of Venice Family Clinic since 1979 when volunteers and artists created the first-ever Venice Family Clinic Art Walk + Auction. The inaugural HEART Gala will take place amidst the 45^th anniversary of Venice Art Walk which will feature nearly 200 artists May 10-19, 2024. Proceeds from the auction also support Venice Family Clinic’s programs and services to ensure continued healthcare is available to 45,000 people in need across Los Angeles County.

More information about the HEART Gala and Venice Art Walk will be announced in the coming weeks. Learn more at venicefamilyclinic.org/HEARTGala.

ABOUT VENICE FAMILY CLINIC                                            

Venice Family Clinic is a nonprofit community health center that is a leader in providing comprehensive, high-quality health care to more than 45,000 people in need annually, regardless of their income, insurance or immigration status. The Clinic merged with South Bay Family Health Care in late 2021, and serves an area from the Santa Monica Mountains through the South Bay in Los Angeles County. It has a network of clinic locations and Early Head Start centers in Venice, Santa Monica, Mar Vista, Inglewood, Culver City, Redondo Beach, Carson, Gardena and Hawthorne, plus mobile clinics and an expansive street medicine program to reach people experiencing homelessness. The Clinic’s comprehensive care also includes mental health services, dental care, vision services, substance use treatment, prescription medications, domestic violence counseling, HIV services, healthy food distributions, health education, health insurance enrollment, child development services and more. For more information, please visit VeniceFamilyClinic.org and follow on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.

MEDIA CONTACT
Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis
Pipere Boggio & Justine Castillo
venicefamilyclinic@ssmandl.com