Above: Artist, John MacKah
OpenDoors of Asheville helps children living in multigenerational poverty by providing them with educational support and enrichment programs. To help raise the funds needed for these vital programs, the organization is holding “Art Affair 2016: From Athena to Zeus” on Saturday, March 5, at Green Man Brewing, 27 Buxton Avenue on Asheville’s South Slope.
Festivities will start with a VIP reception at 6:30 p.m. and live entertainment at 7 p.m. This is the seventh annual “Art Affair,” an event that has become known for its live and silent auctions and great food provided by some of Asheville’s most popular restaurants. This year’s theme—“From Athena to Zeus”—is a modern-day interpretation of ancient mythology resulting in a celebration of unseen heroes who are quietly hard at work improving the lives of children.
When John MacKah, one of the artists featured at this year’s event, first learned about OpenDoors he says, “I was completely blown away by the scale and the commitment of the whole thing. What they do is real.”
Lisa Whittenburg, a single parent, has experienced firsthand the life-changing work done by the folks at OpenDoors. “You want to know what it really means?” she asks. “Look at my kids… They are using their minds to think with a new curiosity about everything, always telling me ‘Mama, did you know this? I learned this today, and this other thing, too!’ I never got that from my kids before OpenDoors, and now their minds are wide open… I am grateful beyond words.”
General admission to “Art Affair 2016: From Athena to Zeus” are $100 each, with VIP tickets available for $150. For more information about OpenDoors and to reserve tickets, go to opendoorsasheville.org. For more about OpenDoors of Asheville, see our Spotlight On feature on page 68.
