October 2011

Art For Tibet

ARTISTS UNITE TO SUPPORT TIBETAN FREEDOM AT 3rd ANNUAL NEW YORK CITY ART SHOW & SILENT AUCTION FUNDRAISER
Contemporary US and International Artists Joined by Tibetan Peers

What:     Art for Tibet III     (www.artfortibet.com / Facebook: http://ow.ly/6IxHq)
Where:     Joshua Liner Gallery, 548 West 28th Street, 3rd Floor NY, NY 10001 http://joshualinergallery.com
When:     October 14, 2011: 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

New York – More than 50 acclaimed artists will exhibit art works together in support of the Tibetan freedom struggle on October 14th at the Joshua Liner Gallery in Chelsea, New York City. The third-annual Art for Tibet show will feature top contemporary Tibetan and international artists, including Shepard Fairey, Pema Rinzin, Richard Gere, Ryan McGinness, Tenzing Rigdol, Swoon, Gonkar Gyatso, The Sucklord (star of Bravo Network’s “Work of Art” Season 2) and many more.

All artwork in the show will be sold via a silent auction on the evening of October 14th.  The evening event will feature a live-painting demonstration, DJ sets by Spirit Bear, and a silent auction that will offer excellent works with low opening bids. Drinks will be generously provided by Beerlao.  Pre-bidding will be available online at www.artfortibet.com beginning October 7th.

“Art for Tibet aims to expose the persecution Tibetan artists and intellectuals face under China’s occupation. At the same time, it is a celebration of their defiance and commitment to free expression in spite of the Chinese government’s severe repression and censorship,” said Tenzin Dorjee, Executive Director of the New York-based Students for a Free Tibet (SFT).

This event is made possible by the support of Honorary Committee members Shepard Fairey, Richard Gere and Professor Robert A.F. Thurman, as well as Benefit and Curatorial Committee members Simeon Lipman (The Art Hustle), Joshua Liner, Pema Rinzin, Tenzing Rigdol, Bruno Levy, Joseph Ian Henrikson (Anonymous Gallery), John Peet (Union Gallery), Andrew Lockhart (prō jekt′ : nyc), Jonathan Hulland, Makiko Onda, Lisa Shimamura (Colab Projects), Kurt Langer (Colab Projects), Zahra Sherzad, Stefanie Rogers and Tenzin Dorjee. Auction and event information and a full list of participating artists are available at www.artfortibet.com.

BACKGROUND ON TIBET: Since Chinese troops invaded Tibet in 1949, China has denied Tibetans their rights and freedom while systematically attempting to wipe out Tibetan culture and identity. In March 2008, just months before the Beijing Olympics, protests against Chinese rule swept across the Tibetan plateau. Chinese authorities responded with brutal force in a crackdown that continues to this day and has left thousands of Tibetans in prison, dead or disappeared.

In defiance of this repression, Tibetan artists, writers and intellectuals in Tibet and in exile are engaged in a Tibetan cultural renaissance, using new technology and mediums to create and share their work. In response, the Chinese government has escalated the crackdown on writers, artists and intellectuals. Dozens of Tibetan artists and writers have been arrested, tortured and imprisoned since 2008.

All proceeds from the event will benefit Students for a Free Tibet, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with international headquarters in New York. Through education, grassroots organizing, and non-violent direct action, SFT campaigns for the Tibetan people’s fundamental right to freedom and independence: www.studentsforafreetibet.org.