FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
3rd Annual Carolina Art Soirée features local artists, benefits GBS/CIDP research and advocacy
CHARLOTTE, NC, March 27, 2011 –
On May 10, 2012, 35 local and regional artists will present the 3rd Annual Carolina Art Soirée, an art show to benefit The GBS/CIDP Foundation International. Last year, the event raised $30,000 for the foundation and sold over 100 paintings, $6000 more than the previous year. Organized by Hannah Blanton, a Charlotte nurse and mother who was struck with the rare and severe illness in 2003, the fundraising event aims to raise awareness of Guillain-Barré syndrome, a disorder in which the body's immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system, often causing rapid paralysis.
The Carolina Art Soirée event will be held at Midtown’s Met Terraces, 1110 Metropolitan Avenue, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. The reception will include live music from musician Grey Brewster, and food and drink from Vivace, Dressler’s, LaPaz, Zoe’s Kitchen, Hickory Tavern, Pisces Sushi Bar & Lounge, Delish Cakery, Penny’s Pimento Cheese, Troy & Sons Distilling, Exclusiv Vodka and Natty Greene’s Brewing Co. Extravaganza Events, Picture House Gallery, FOBOSHO and Metropolitan are also sponsoring. A suggested donation of $20 per person will be accepted at the door. Valet parking will be provided. The exhibition will continue Friday, May 11, 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. Forty percent of art sales will be donated to GBS/CIDP research, education and advocacy.
Arkansas perfomance artist Mike Lewis of JesusPainter Ministries will paint several large canvases during the event and will donate proceeds of their sale to GBS/CIDP. Mike travels internationally to create live paintings for audiences at faith-based events, painting large portraits of Christ less than 20 minutes.
Other participating artists include Betsy Alexander, Pam Anderson, Wendy Bilas, Laura Bowers, Dianne Britton, Curt Butler, Zan Byrd, Allison Chambers, Robbie Clair, Theresa Clark, Fonda Doerre, Christina Dowdy, Jenny Fuller, Lita Gatlin, Marcy Gregg, Chris Keogh, Heidi Kirschner, Robert Langford, Dottie Leatherwood, Kevin LePrince, Jennifer Levine, Mike Lewis, Anne Neilson, Windy OConnor, Liz Orvos, Patricia Ratcliffe, Laurie Richardson, Michelle Rivera Kosavek, Caroline Simas, Libby Smart, Gina Strumpf, Amy Sullivan, Kelly Thiel, and Helen Vanvick. The art show will also feature the work of homeless artists from Urban Ministry Center’s ArtWorks 945 program. Preview work at http://carolinaartsoiree.squarespace.com.
The exhibition will continue Friday, May 11, 11-3. The weekend’s festivities will also include the 6th Annual GDP/CIDP 5K and Miracle Mile, a family-friendly fundraiser hosted by The GBS/CIDP Charlotte Support Group on Saturday, May 12, 2012.
More about GBS and CIDP:
GBS, Guillain-Barré (Ghee-yan Bah-ray) Syndrome, also called acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy and Landry’s ascending paralysis, is an inflammatory disorder of the peripheral nerves those outside the brain and spinal cord. It is characterized by the rapid onset of weakness and, often, paralysis of the legs, arms, breathing muscles and face. GBS is the most common cause of rapidly acquired paralysis in the United States today, affecting one to two people in every 100,000. Although most people recover and return to a normal lifestyle, the length of the illness is unpredictable and often months of hospital care are required, many endure a slow recovery and some remain wheelchair-bound indefinitely. CIDP (Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy) is a rare disorder of the peripheral nerves characterized by gradually increasing weakness of the legs and, to a lesser extent, the arms. It is caused by damage to the covering of the nerves, called myelin. For more information: www.gbs-cidp.org.
More about the Carolina Art Soirée:
http://carolinaartsoiree.squarespace.com
Hannah Blanton, hblanton@me.com, 704-365-2422.
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