Dear Fellow Artists:
We are seeking donated art for a silent auction which is part of a larger event, the Anne Hart Chay & Visual Art Studio Benefit, to be held sometime at the end of May. More information to be announced as details are confirmed.
Dear Fellow Artists:
We are seeking donated art for a silent auction which is part of a larger event, the Anne Hart Chay & Visual Art Studio Benefit, to be held sometime at the end of May. More information to be announced as details are confirmed.
Anne Hart Chay, owner of Visual Art Studio, has been a great supporter of local art and artists for the past 25 years going back to her VCU days when she began volunteering at 1708 Gallery, the Hand Workshop and the VMFA. After graduating with honors, she worked with other artists developing First Friday receptions and creating an arts and cultural district at her first public studio in Arts on the Square, located in the 6th Street Marketplace. She now serves on the Arts District Task Force and the Board of Curated Culture, the nonprofit who promotes the First Fridays Art Walk.
For the last 15 years as Visual Art Studio at 208 West Broad Street (which she renovated), she has supported art, artists, musicians and the downtown community in Richmond with free rotating exhibitions, artist talks, demonstrations, Anne’s Alley Art and community Flea Markets. She has contributed and dedicated herself to making downtown business initiatives like Shop RVA, Second Saturday (which she launched), Saturday Stroll and First Fridays successful. She is most proud in helping to develop First Fridays into an event credited by the press as the catalyst for the revitalization of Historic Downtown Richmond. In addition to the arts, she has developed programs for and given her time to raise money for the Virginia Breast Cancer Association, Good Neighbor Village and the Muscular Dystrophy Association, just to name a few.
All this and what most people don’t know is that over the past 9 plus years Anne has been suffering from a variety of chronic illnesses. Among them are fibromyalgia, severe ulcerative colitis and debilitating rheumatoid arthritis, then in 2010 she was diagnosed with a rare disease, leiomyomatosis peritonealis disseminata, that causes tumors in her abdomen and on her internal organs. Obviously these diseases are expensive to treat and to carefully maintain her quality of life and to monitor. While carrying with her second child last year, she was rushed by ambulance to the hospital where she remained for 61 days. Her pregnancy was a complete previa with accreta. It is a miracle they are both alive today.
With all of these problems, and operating a gallery, she has pulled through having jobs, then having problems again. Her husband, Francisco was laid off in 2008 and has struggled to find work since then. With a family of four, including two children, it is a constant struggle to keep basic needs met.
Of course, much of the time, Anne has had no medical coverage so she carries a heavy load of medical debt. In June she will once again owe about $3000 in property taxes.
Please help us raise money for this wonderful art gallery and local artist/owner.
All donations will be auctioned off at the benefit with those that do not sell going to Anne’s Visual Art Studio first annual silent auction, Arte’licious, happening First Friday June 3rd.
If you feel so moved, please pass this message on to other artists that might be interested. When questions arise, feel free to contact me at shartistry@hotmail.com or by phone (804) 928-0188. You may also contact me on Facebook.
Thank you in advance for your generous donations.
Susan Hribernik
Elana Hyper
Mary Virginia Currie
Gail Dickens
