ArtSmart was started in 2015, founded by the opera singers Michael Fabiano and John Viscardi. Its aim is to “transform the lives of youth in under-resourced communities across the United States” through tuition-free music lessons and mentorship by paid, professional artists. You can read more here.
ArtSmart has a fine art online Fundraising Auction which runs from 29 November until 15 December 2022.
The auction will feature a variety of artworks as well as a private flight with Fabiano. That may sound odd… Fabiano is well-known for his singing – after appearing in Onegin at the Royal Opera, The Sunday Times wrote: “I can’t think of a Lensky at Covent Garden who has held the audience so spellbound… a glorious debut.” But he also has a passion for flying, as revealed in a New York Times interview in 2017, and is a licensed pilot. So the opportunity of going up into the skies with Michael, is also something to bid on.
“Artists, benefactors, and museums, who have donated auction items, are passionate about ArtSmart’s mission. Music saves lives. I am proud of the work we are doing,” says Fabiano.
Artists such as Robert Rauschenberg, Robert Magee, Ran Ortner, Sal Jones, and Steve Winter will be featured in the auction.
Fine art from around the world is on sale not only to raise funds but also to bring awareness about the non-profit’s impact. All proceeds will go to support ArtSmart’s mission to transform the lives of youth through music. The auction will serve as a major fundraiser to further ArtSmart’s work in the seven major US cities it currently operates in – New York, Newark, Jersey City, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle – and support the expansion of ArtSmart into additional cities.
ArtSmart’s data shows:
- 92% of students attended Title 1 Schools, where 40% of students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch
- 88% of students identified as Black, Indigenous, and/or people of colour
- 55% were from an English Language Learning background
- 43% identified as LGTBQ+
- 92% of ArtSmart students plan to attend college, compared to just 71% of high school students nationwide (U.S. Teens Survey, Feb. 20, 2019. Pew Research Center)
- 70% of students said their experience in ArtSmart impacted their future goals
- 52% of graduates went on to study the arts at a higher education institution
Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano’) about dance, opera, music and photography for people “who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like”. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy.
His scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the ‘Danza in Italia’ column for Dancing Times magazine.
