- Title: RUSSIA: Charity art auction to raise money for young talent
- Date: 14th October 2009
- Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (OCTOBER 8, 2009) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF GUESTS AT AUCTION PAINTING TO BE AUCTIONED TITLED "CHILDHOOD POP ART" BY ROSTISLAV LEBEDEV VARIOUS OF GUESTS TALKING BEFORE AUCTION PAINTING TO BE AUCTIONED TITLED "BANKA ZAGREBANKA" BY KONSTANTIN ZVEZDOCHOTOV GUESTS TALKING BEFORE AUCTION WOMAN LOOKING AT PAINTING DETAIL OF PAINTING TO BE AUCTIONED TITLED "SECRET" BY OKSANA MAS GUESTS AT AUCTION PAYING MONEY INTO TRANSPARENT MONEY BOX TO GET BIDDING TICKET CLOSE OF WOMAN TAKING MONEY OUT OF HER PURSE WOMAN SEATED BEFORE AUCTION LOOKING AT POSTCARDS OF PICTURES CLOSE OF POSTCARDS AUCTION ROOM WITH GUESTS SEATED
- Embargoed: 29th October 2009 02:32
- Keywords:
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVAEYMTZD75V7D2W9BCPF1JM5AR7
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Story Text: Moscow's high society turned out last week in support of an art auction to raise money for talented and underprivileged Russian youngsters.
The charity auction was held at central Moscow's Heritage Gallery in aid of "New Names" charitable fund, which supports young Russians in the fields of music and art, mainly ones who reside outside the capital.
"New Names" aims to provide financial and practical aid for young musicians, artists and poets so they can grow creatively.
Works of art sold at the auction were donated by some of Russia's best known contemporary artists, who showcased work featuring their take on a childhood theme.
Artists Gosha Ostretsov gave a wooden sculpture of the Grey Wolf from Russian fairy stories, Rostislav Lebedev donated a picture titled, Childhood Pop Art and Georgi Litchevsky donated two works, titled Parrot and Cubed Parrot, the second a copy of the first painting made out of wooden play blocks arranged inside a frame.
Sotheby's officiated at the auction, with Senior Director and Chairman of Sotheby's Europe, Lord Mark Poltimore, conducting the bidding.
"It's a wonderful win-win situation because every dollar you raise will go to these wonderful, talented young people here and you will also own a wonderful picture, so I think that's a good scenario," Poltimore told his well-heeled audience.
Poltimore pointed out to his audience three young artists seated in the auction room's first row who had received support from the "New Names" fund.
Anna Savkina, 14, from Khanti-Mansisk in the middle of Siberia, is a pianist and violinist supported by the fund and was among the three seated in the front row during the auction.
Seated next to Savkina was 14-year-old pianist, Ilya Shmukler, from Moscow, and 11-year-old Danil Kharitonov, who had travelled to the auction from Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk in the Russian Far East.
"Nineteen lots will be presented here -- 19 works by contemporary Russian artists who have given their work so that the money raised will go to the charitable fund, 'New Names', which supports talented young people, wunderkinds, from Russian regions," said Mikhail Kamensky, director of Sothebys' Russia branch.
"The children really are talented so everyone is happy to take part in the auction," said 'New Names" fund Director, Yvetta Voronova.
The Sotheby's Heritage auction was held in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the founding of 'New Names" charitable fund.
Organisers declined to reveal the amount of money raised during the event. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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