Gulf Aid Art

"Oops" by Cynthia Scott. Woodcut, 14 x 11 in.

Gulf Aid Art: Artists in Action, a fundraising exhibition in response to the oil spill, took place in June at the Jonathan Ferrara Gallery in New Orleans. The exhibition, organized by gallery owner Jonathan Ferrara and artist Dan Tague, showcased works by well-known Louisiana artists. Online sales will continue through July 28. All proceeds will be donated to Gulf Aid, a non-profit corporation that was created in response to the oil spill.

For the exhibition, artists created limited edition, 10-series prints. The only requirement for the prints was that they had to “respond / react to the current crisis affecting their home, health, happiness and economic futures.” The prices of the works range from $100 to $500 and could raise as much as $80,000.

Gulf Aid Art: Artists in Action was inspired by the recent Gulf Aid concert headlined by Lenny Kravitz and Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and now visual artists are helping in the effort. Artists must “speak up, comment criticize and make [their] voices heard,” Ferrara said.

This isn’t the first time Ferrara and Tague have stepped up during a time of natural disaster. After Hurricane Katrina, Ferrara organized New Orleans Artists In Exile, a traveling exhibition with works by artists affected by Katrina. Tague created a limited edition print called “United For Haiti” after the earthquake and raised over $7,500 for the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund.

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