(NEWARK, NJ) -- The start of this new decade has been nothing like what anyone expected, and many are still uncertain about what lies ahead. That’s why Gallery Aferro is embracing the enigma and reminding everyone that “Change Is Constant,” so why not honor 2020 resilience with art from a community of creative iconoclasts and celebrate for a night marking a new era of transformation and rebirth. This year’s benefit will take place in two dynamic forms — an online auction and a Party In A Box.
Not since 2001 has a blue moon fallen on Halloween, but the calendar read 1944 the last time the entire globe experienced a blue moon together. Combine this with the “extra” hour of nightfall thanks to the end of Daylight Savings Time occurring overnight, this year’s All Hallows’ Eve is deserving of a singular event to honor the occasion. To bless the thinning of the veil, Gallery Aferro invites everyone, beginning at 12 Noon on Saturday, October 31st, to enjoy an online auction of more than 100 works by local, national and international artists who continue to persist and insist in a time of unprecedented change.
The fundraiser will help Aferro continue to provide avenues, which are in danger of disappearing more actively than ever, for the artistic community to grow and expand. From promoting women artists of color and artists who are parents in our fellowship residency program (Newark’s oldest ongoing artist workspace program) to commissioning Black artist-writers and combating erasure with digital humanities, to crafting unique, immersive experiences for the public to engage art in new, exciting ways (such as with our upcoming Poem Booth), the gallery is committed to serving underrepresented voices in the creative community and holding platform for the unheard.
After 5 weeks, the auction will culminate in another extraordinary event for our less-than-ordinary times: a Party In A Box. This unparalleled fete brings an end to the fundraiser in a “party-together-apart” virtual jubilee with a special package delivered to patrons’ doors filled with limited edition art, a personalized music playlist, ready-to-enjoy nibbles and cocktails, and memorable prizes that the community has come to love at an Aferro annual benefit.
Party guests will order their boxes in advance, then on November 28th, join the festivities online in a counter-consumer celebration where all attendees will open their packages at 7:00pm and revel in the collective joy that only inclusivity, resilience and creativity can bring.
Everyone is welcome to bid in the online auction for free starting at 12 Noon on Halloween. The Party In A Box packages range from $50 to $200, and must be ordered by 12 Midnight on Halloween.
$50 Level Supporter - Supporters at the $50 level will receive, by mail or local hand delivery, an Aferro 2020 Postcard Pack featuring original designs by 5 artists working in Newark, a conceptual print, stickers ready for deployment and…the chance to be the winner of prizes including a Fern and Fossil terrarium kit by mail, a signed copy of These Ghosts are Family by Maisy Card, and more.
$125 Level Supporter - Supporters at the $125 level will receive, by mail or local hand delivery, an Aferro 2020 Postcard Pack featuring original designs by 5 artists working in Newark, a conceptual print, a 2020 edition Aferro tee shirt, alot of stickers ready for deployment, artist-designed radical temporary tattoo, art button, party mixtape with liner notes, handsewn festive face mask, tiny disco ball, cocktail, snack, and…the chance to be the winner of prizes including a Fern and Fossil terrarium kit by mail, a signed copy of These Ghosts are Family by Maisy Card, and more.
$200 Level Supporter - Supporters at the $200 level will receive, by mail or local hand delivery, two Aferro 2020 Postcard Packs featuring original designs by 10 artists working in Newark, a conceptual print, an original site-specific artwork, a 2020 edition Aferro tee shirt, alot of stickers ready for deployment, artist-designed radical temporary tattoo, original prose about revolution, mysterious art button, multiple party mixtapes with liner notes, handsewn festive face mask, and a custom handsewn 33′ record pillow emblazoned with an artist/song title of your choosing, tiny disco ball, cocktail, snack, and... the chance to be the winner of prizes including a Fern and Fossil terrarium kit by mail, a signed copy of These Ghosts are Family by Maisy Card, and more.
Image design: Dahlia Elsayed
