Joan Pamboukes, Cleanse from Grand Theft Auto, digital photograph, 2007 via aferro.org

OMG Aferro Art Benefit Party
Saturday, June 20th, 7 - 10 PM.- Gallery Aferro
73 Market St - Newark NJ 07102

This Saturday, Gallery Aferro hosts an art benefit complete with silent auction, art “yard sale/flea market,” live entertainment, and local eats. The silent auction features works by dozens of emerging and established artists, ranging from the local level to international. The yard sale component provides attendees with the opportunity to buy the antiques and original crafts of local artisans at discounted prices. Aferro will also be auctioning an artist-designed tattoo by Dahlia Elsayed.

All proceeds from the benefit will help the artist-run gallery finalize its status as a nonprofit organization, and contribute to expanding the scope of programs the gallery offers. When reached by phone, Curator and Co-Founder Emma Wilcox said she founded the gallery with the goal of breaking down barriers, perceived and actual, surrounding the art world. "Everyone should have access to a cultural life," she said, adding that she hopes to eradicate some of these barriers through improving existing initiatives, as well as providing more educational programs. Wilcox, an artist herself, said she has personally experienced the difficulty of locating scarce resources in today's economic climate, leading Affero to adopt the mantra: “If we can locate resources, share – if we can’t, make them.”

The event takes place this Saturday, June 20th from 7- 10 PM. A preview will be held on Friday, June 19th from 6-8 PM.