Incredible artwork served as perfect photo ops.
THE PARTY On July 9, the Art of Giving Foundation (artofgivingfoundation.org) gathered artists and philanthropists alike for the foundation’s second annual charity gala, the Black Tie & Sneaker Ball, at Artifact Events in historic Ravenswood. The goal? To raise $100,000—$25,000 more than the previous year—to help revitalize the Chicago arts communities hit hard by the pandemic. THE PEOPLE The event was led by Art of Giving Foundation president and CEO Autumn Pippenburg alongside creative director Jason Farley, who also curated the gala’s artists. Whitney Reynolds, philanthropist, producer and media personality of the PBS nationally syndicated Whitney Reynolds Show, was a lively emcee. THE PINNACLE Attendees enjoyed food and beverages from Taqueria Chingon, Carnivale, Mercadito, iCut and pop-up restaurant Loon Popup, all accompanied by live music from Soul Collective and performances by the Joel Hall Dancers. Highlights of the evening included a live auction featuring work from 12 artists; a sneaker “Shoecase”; a sneaker design competition; custom sneaker donations by Sneaker Heartz and The Sole Revival; and the “Best Dressed” guest award presented by Chicago fashion designer Boris Powell. Plus, event sponsor Elite Chess auctioned off a life-sized chess piece art exhibit to raise money for chess classes for underprivileged Chicago youth.
Guests dressed to the nines
Gwen McNutt, Autumn Pippenburg and Maria Castro
Sharon Johnson, Borris Powell and Meiling Jin
Boris Powell with Community Outreach Grant winner Lonnie Edwards
Zak Blatt posed with the art.
Photography by: MAKSYM ZAKHARCHUK
