Art by Margo Sadova, BASIS Tucson High School
High school artists showcasing work in a charity art show, fundraiser and poetry reading event on Saturday, Feb. 4 will wear flowers to set them apart from the crowd.
In 2011, they wore red to show their participation in "Connections Without Boundaries: Art Without Years." For 2012, it's flowers.
The "Connections Without Boundaries: Art Without Years" charity event was started last year by BASIS High School student Zobella Vinik, who is now a freshman at Tufts University.
"I've always been surrounded by amazing artists," Vinik said. "I so badly wanted to share my friends' art with everyone in the Tucson community, so I started calling all of my artist friends."
Vinik pulled it together and last year, the inaugural event raised over $1,000 through donations and the silent auction, selling around 45 pieces of art. They sold everything, said Vinik.
All of that money went to Gulu High School in Uganda as part of Invisible Children's Schools for Schools program.
This year, Art Without Years will donate all of the proceeds to World Bicycle Relief, where $134 sends a bike to communities in southern Africa, said Matt Pierce, the organization's communications director.
The event's organizers hope to raise enough for several bikes.
"This event has a magnitude that expands beyond the scope of Tucson while still maintaining the feeling of Tucson's community," said Nicholas Zhu, the BASIS Tucson senior in charge this year. "Whether or not artists are participating for their ulterior motives to get famous, the proceeds still go to charity."
Commuting is something Americans can relate to, and bikes can help African students get to school or health care workers reach their patients, according to Pierce.
"Bikes bring a lot of Americans joy," Pierce said. "Knowing something that brings you joy is directly helping someone else creates a connection."
Although BASIS Tucson students organize the night, high school artists from schools across the city participate.
"There's a lot of divisiveness when it comes to schools, but that's adults talking" said Julia Toews, the head of BASIS Tucson. "The kids don't feel that, and a lot of them have friends everywhere."
The show also has a local effect.
"Last year, my 7-year-old daughter participated, and we got to hear people talk about her pictures," Toews said. "It was cool because she's still at an age where she mostly thinks about the impact on her."
With all of the lights, music, and people, even random passerby stopped in for a peek, Zhu said.
"An appreciation for creating is beautiful," Vinik said. "It's connects us all and lets us appreciate people we may have had nothing in common with."
Connections Without Boundaries: Art Without Years will showcase the art of local teenagers on Saturday, Feb. 4 at Casa Libre en la Solana, 228 N. 4th Ave. Check out this free event from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
