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VENICE FAMILY CLINIC NAMES CELEBRATED ARCHITECT FRANK GEHRY AS 2020 VENICE FAMILY CLINIC ART WALK & AUCTION HONOREE
Annual event brings together LA’s art community to support Venice Family Clinic’s mission to provide health care for all
VENICE, CA – (February 20, 2020) – Venice Family Clinic is proud to announce that world-renowned architect Frank Gehry will be the 2020 Venice Family Clinic Art Walk & Auction honoree. The event will take place Sunday, May 3, 2020, with a VIP preview Saturday, May 2, at Google Los Angeles in Venice, CA. The iconic local landmark, also known as the Binoculars Building, was designed by Gehry in collaboration with artist Claes Oldenburg.
In 1979, Venice Family Clinic was on the verge of closing its doors until a group of Clinic supporters gathered with local artists and created the first-ever art walk to ensure continued vital medical services for the community. Frank Gehry played an integral role in bringing the event to life by helping introduce the group to many Venice artists. Such artists included Lita Albuquerque, John Baldessari, Larry Bell, Billy Al Bengston, Laddie John Dill, Ed Moses, Ed Ruscha, and many more who donated their works to the silent auction and opened their studios. These pioneering artist-activists have inspired a new generation of artists to support the Clinic’s mission, such as Kelly Akashi, Enrique Martinez Celaya, FriendsWithYou, The Haas Brothers, Kelly Lamb, Vanessa Prager, Analia Saban, and many more.
“Four decades ago, I recognized the vital work that Venice Family Clinic provided for our community, and I knew that I needed to support and help safeguard its future. Along with a team of dedicated volunteers, we recruited artist friends in Venice and we established the Venice Art Walk as a way to leverage the talent of our creative community to ensure that the artists and their neighbors received the care they needed. I’m proud to continue to support the Clinic’s mission in these times when their services are as essential as ever,” said Frank Gehry, 2020 Venice Family Clinic Art Walk & Auction honoree.
“Venice Family Clinic has been on the front lines of the health care revolution since 1970. This year marks our 50th anniversary – an opportunity to reflect on what we have accomplished and how we will continue to work to ensure that people living in poverty throughout our community have access to quality health care, regardless of their income, insurance or immigration status for generations to come. Venice Family Clinic Art Walk & Auction has been a driving force of continued growth and stability for the Clinic. We are grateful to have a dedicated community of supporters like Frank Gehry, participating artists, donors, volunteers and collectors, who offer their time, talent, and resources to support our mission to provide quality primary care to people in need,” said Elizabeth Benson Forer, CEO and Executive Director, Venice Family Clinic.
Since its inception, Venice Family Clinic Art Walk & Auction has raised $23 million to provide comprehensive primary care to people who might otherwise have nowhere to get the help they need to get well and stay well. Starting as a storefront in Venice, the Clinic has grown to serve nearly 28,000 people at 12 sites in Los Angeles and through street outreach teams that extend our reach from Malibu to mid-city. The vast majority of the Clinic’s patients live at or below the federal poverty level, and many need special attention and services because they are facing homelessness or are undocumented.
Proceeds from the Venice Art Walk & Auction support the Clinic’s comprehensive health services including pediatric and prenatal care, care for teens and adults, dental, vision, behavioral health, women’s health (including breast and cervical cancer screenings), domestic violence intervention, HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, health education, early childhood development services, and substance use treatment.
For more information on artists, activities, and parking & transportation logistics, visit theveniceartwalk.org. Starting April 20, view all works available in the silent art auction at paddle8.com/auction/venice-family-clinic.
Photos: (L-R) Frank Gehry Photo: Alexandra Cabri. Frank Gehry’s sketch of former Chiat Day offices, current Google Binocular Building, home of the Venice Art Walk & Auction
ABOUT VENICE FAMILY CLINIC
Venice Family Clinic is a leader in providing comprehensive, high-quality primary health care to people living in poverty. Now 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 12 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 dental care, substance use treatment, mental health services, vision screenings, child development classes, health education, prescription medications, domestic violence counseling, HIV/AIDS services, street medicine for people experiencing homelessness and health insurance enrollment services. For more information, visit venicefamilyclinic.org. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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BECOME A MEMBER OF VENICE FAMILY CLINIC
To commemorate its 50th anniversary, Venice Family Clinic is hosting a series of unique events to reflect on the Clinic’s impact. Your gift enables us to stay on the frontlines of Los Angeles’ fight to address health access, homelessness, substance use, mental health, food insecurity, early childhood education and other complex challenges. Join us as a member and provide comprehensive health care for nearly 28,000 Angelenos. Learn more at: venicefamilyclinic.org/membership
ABOUT FRANK GEHRY
Raised in Toronto, Canada, Frank Gehry moved with his family to Los Angeles in 1947. Mr. Gehry received his Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Southern California in 1954, and he studied City Planning at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. In subsequent years, Mr. Gehry has built an architectural career that has spanned over six decades and produced public and private buildings in America, Europe and Asia. His work has earned Mr. Gehry several of the most significant awards in the architectural field, including the Pritzker Prize.
Notable projects include Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain; Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, California; Eight Spruce Street Residential Tower in New York City; Opus Residential Tower in Hong Kong; Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, France; and the Dr. Chau Chak Wing Building for the University of Technology, in Sydney; Australia. Projects under construction include the LUMA / Parc des Ateliers in Arles, France; Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Facebook Campus in Menlo Park, California; the Grand Avenue Project in Los Angeles, California; a new center for the Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA) in Inglewood, California; the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial in Washington D.C., and the Battersea Power Station Development in London, England.