LOS ANGELES, July 1, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Familiar faces from the entertainment world and L.A. arts community gathered together to fight AIDS at the fourth annual Art Project Los Angeles on Saturday. The evening was the perfect blend of music, art, and fashion, and raised over $185,000 for the lifesaving care, prevention, and advocacy work of AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA).
Celebrity attendees included Bruno Amato (The Internship), Tess Broussard (Kroll Show), Deanna Lee Douglas (The A-List), Richard Grieco (21 Jump Street), Carolyn Hennesy (True Blood), Richard Herd (Seinfeld, V, Star Trek: Voyager), Walter Jones (Prime Suspect), Miranda Rae Mayo (The Game), Valery Ortiz (South of Nowhere, Hit the Floor), Ivana Shein (Person of Interest), Chuti Tiu (The Internship), Oscar Torre (Cane, The Hangover III), Kate Walsh (Private Practice), Daphne Wayans (Hollywood Exes), and more.
Guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d'oeuvres as they took in the breathtaking works of art that lined the walls of beautifully-renovated Bonhams auction house. Over 230 pieces were donated to the auction, from both well-known and emerging local artists. The silent auction pieces ranged from an original Polaroid taken by Andy Warhol, to works by Shepard Fairey, to Takashi Murakami lithographs.
The line between art and fashion was blurred as guests had the opportunity to bid on a pair of diamond earrings from Mark Lash, and models walked around the gallery showcasing gorgeous gowns designed by Mon Atelier's Ali Rahimi. During the live auction, guests had the opportunity to bid on the chance to have a custom gown or suit designed especially for them by Rahimi.
The live auction alone raised over $70,000 for APLA, and included masterpieces from artists such as Dali, Picasso, Ruscha, Therrien, and more. One of the most sought-after pieces of the evening was a painting that was completed over the course of the night, right there in the live auction room. Art Project Los Angeles' featured artist, David Anson Russo, created a piece from his colorful and vibrant What a Great Life collection. The piece was auctioned off for more than any other item in the live auction.
To view photos and auction items from the evening, visit apla.org/artproject or the Art Project Los Angeles Facebook page.
AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA), one of the largest non-profit AIDS service organizations in the United States, provides bilingual direct services, prevention education, and leadership on HIV/AIDS-related policy and legislation.
In 2013, APLA marks its 30th year of operation and is a community-based, volunteer-supported organization with local, national and global reach. Annually, the agency provides direct services and HIV prevention education to more than 11,000 clients in Los Angeles, a city with the second-largest HIV/AIDS epidemic in the nation. For more information, visit apla.org.
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world's largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son & Neale. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America. Today, Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street and Knightsbridge; and a further three in the UK regions and Scotland. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Carmel, New York and Connecticut in the USA; and Germany, France, Monaco, Hong Kong and Australia. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 60 specialist areas. For a full listing of upcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments go to bonhams.com.
A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=19677
