Celebrating a tradition of creativity and care

The power of health and art to transform lives has always been a cornerstone of Venice Family Clinic’s history. Without the rich tradition of vital collaborations with the creative community, we wouldn’t be where we are today.

We launched the HEART (Health + Art) Initiative to honor this storied relationship and harness its potential to uplift our community. We were thrilled to celebrate the artists, activists and community members who care about health, art, creativity, compassion and social justice at the inaugural HEART Gala and our 45th Annual Venice Family Clinic Art Walk + Auction.

At our gala, we presented the first-ever HEART Award to artist Morleigh Steinberg and U2’s The Edge. While accepting their award, Edge remarked, “This means so much to us not only as artists but as human beings who believe in the power of community and the importance of access to health care for all.”

Exploring health, history and home

This year’s edition of Venice Art Walk explored the theme of Health, History, and Home. We invited artists to consider how building community can create a sense of belonging that encourages holistic well-being and creativity. Our curator, Max Rippon, exclusively featured Los Angeles artists and included 60 new and emerging voices in the exhibition which was on display at our Abbot Kinney gallery.

We were honored to feature Fred Eversley, a pioneer who has firsthand experience with the importance of equitable health care in fostering creativity. Like so many Venice artists, Fred came to the Clinic for comprehensive care in the early days of his revolutionary career. We were proud to showcase many artists who use their work to discuss the connection between Health + Art and tackle topics such as  ableism, the challenges of navigating health care enrollment and gender identity.

Brightening days and lives

DABSMYLA, two artists included in this year’s auction, donated their time and talent to brighten the walls of the Chuck Lorre Rose Avenue Health and Wellness Center with their latest mural. The duo believes in the power of art to instill a sense of peace, ease and relaxation and were happy to share those benefits with everyone who visits the clinic on Rose Avenue in Venice.

Thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating the powerful relationship between health and art.

Some artworks are still available for purchase. Support the Clinic with a purchase of Art Within Reach prints, Limited editions (including an Annie Lapin Mixografia print) and posters on our Venice Family Clinic shop.