BURNAWAY will be hosting its 10-year anniversary celebration and annual fundraiser, Art Crush, tomorrow Saturday, February 16, 2019 from 7:30 to 10:00 PM. BURNAWAY is an Atlanta-based nonprofit organization that supports artists and creative communities in the South by providing a platform for the critical dialogue and information that are vital to growing and sustaining a vibrant cultural scene. Art Crush will be celebrated at the recently opened Factory Atlanta in Chamblee and the unique location will draw inspiration from this year’s theme, Year of the Pig.
“Art Crush will remain our signature event, featuring a highly curated silent auction of artworks,a live auction of one-of-a-kind experiences, and interactive art installations,” said the recently appointed Executive Director of Burnaway Erin Jane Nelson. “We are celebrating artists in Atlanta from a number of different ethnic and national backgrounds to reflect the diversity of Atlanta and especially the Buford Highway corridor. Many of our artists and performers are themselves immigrants or first generation Americans and the influence of their cultural backgrounds are reflected in the work they make.”
Art Crush will have a Honorary Chair for the event Jiha Moon, one of the most celebrated and widely known contemporary artists working in Atlanta today. The Chamblee resident artists focuses on painting, printmaking and sculptural ceramic objects. She has also been a longtime supporter since the beginning of BURNAWAY and one of the first artists Erin Jane Nelson met when she came back to Atlanta.
“Jiha is one of the first artists I met when I moved back to Atlanta in 2016. She is an incredibly hard worker and such a wonderful booster for art in Atlanta,” states Erin Nelson. “Her work has been recognized in museums around the country, we’re thrilled to celebrate her as one of our most accomplished contemporary artists working in the city today.”
Art Crush 2019 will be be featuring two emcees Taylor Alxndr and Mystery Meat, both fixtures of Atlanta’s underground nightlife scene. DJ Yoon Nam will provide his specialty of international vintage funk and dance music for the evening’s soundtrack. Guests are encouraged to bring home a piece of art from emerging and established talent from the Southeast as well as art-filled experiences during the silent auction. Auction experiences include a custom dinner party and bourbon tasting with artist Michi Meko to a private viewing of highlights from the High Museum’s photography collection with curator Greg Harris and and artist Jill Frank.
Art Crush 2019’s them Year of the Pig will be displaying connections between the 2019 Lunar New Year and one of the South’s favorite exports, Barbeque. The intersections that will be made between the two can and will be celebrating a junction of immigrant cultures and the American South. During the evening guests will enjoy delicious dishes from Bantam & Biddy inspired by Lunar New Year festivities and the Year of the Pig.
Tickets for Art Crush are available for general admission at $40, Host Committee from a range of $175 to $300 and Table Sponsorships for $1,200. Host committee members and VIP ticket holders will enjoy an evening of unlimited beverages, access to the private VIP lounge and a curator-led auction preview by BURNAWAY’s Director Erin Jane Nelson.
If you would like to learn more BURNAWAY and Art Crush you can visit their website at www.burnaway.org. You can also stay up to date with events and announcements by following them on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. You can follow this link if you are interested in more information on ticket purchases. If you can not make it to the event you can still bid online for artwork, purchase limited edition prints and make donations to support their organization.
Axel Martinez contributed to this piece.
