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The Zhou Brothers are one of the most accomplished contemporary artists in the world today renowned for their unique collaborative work process. They always work together on their paintings, performances, sculptures, and prints, often communicating without words in a so-called dream dialogue. Their thinking, aesthetic, and creativity are a symbiosis of Eastern and Western philosophy, art, and literature that informed their development since early childhood. Their indomitable spirit allowed them to leave behind their brilliant success in China, where they were hailed as national heroes for their early work, to step onto the world stage. They have since achieved international acclaim while continuing to work in the West.The Zhou Brothers have consequently maintained their home and studios in Chicago while actively exhibiting their work nationally and abroad.

zhoub.com

Proceeds will be donated to the Chinese American Service League.

The Chinese American Service League has served the needs of Chicago’s Chinese community for over 30 years. CASL supports the community with programs ranging from English language assistance, refugee settlement assistance, youth outreach, adult education, childcare, elderly housing, and more. Since day one, CASL has been in a state of evolution, but the mission has never changed: to meet the needs of the community it serves with a compassionate heart. CASL gives dignity and opportunity to those who not only need it, but also are willing to work to achieve their goals. www.caslservice.org

Jürgen Messensee was born in Vienna in 1936 and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna from 1955 to 1960. His work is the result of his ongoing contemplation about reality. Messensee’s visual language is not necessarily obvious or self-evident, but for those who are not fixed on conventional stereotypes, a most specific spectrum of the world is revealed, using the unmatched possibilities of art.

Proceeds will be donated to Bon Children’s Home.

The Bon Children’s Home is located in Dolanji, Himachal Pradesh, India. The BCH is dedicated to educating and caring for Bon children whose families are in exile Many children have been orphaned, or their families are too poor to care for them. The BCH is not only helping children, it is saving an ancient Tibetan culture that traces its roots back to over 18,000 years ago. The Bon culture is in danger of being lost since so many Bon live as refugees outside their native Tibet. Establishing schools and other organized programs will aid the Bon to nurture their culture and tradition for future generations.

Elvira Bach is a Berlin-based artist. In 1982 at the age of 29, she was invited to participate at the documenta VII, one of the most important modern and contemporary art exhibitions. Many of her works have been strongly influenced by her time spent as an artist in residence in the Dominican Republic.

A recurring and central theme in her sensually bright and vigorous paintings is the woman in her sexually-determined existence. It turns out that the similar-looking women depicted in her paintings is Bach herself. In 1978 she began to paint self-portraits often disguised as still-lifes, using an array of utensils and accessories with which she defines herself as a woman. Explicitly erotic elements dominated her work in the early 80s. In the late 80s, her work began to transform to a more reserved style.

ACHSE ('Alliance for Rare Diseases') was founded in 2004 as a common voice to represent an estimated three to four million people living with a rare disease in Germany. ACHSE's goal is to increase awareness of the needs and problems those suffering with such diseases and their families and to contribute to improving their living standards and specific interests. Presently more than 90 patient organizations have joined ACHSE to support each other, to exchange experiences and to strengthen their influence in the political arena.

Please find more information under http://www.achse-online.de

Ai Weiwei is a conceptual artist, architect and political activist. Mr. Ai is widely regarded as China’s most prominent contemporary artist and one of the country’s most innovative thinkers. He is perhaps best known for helping to design the iconic Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium in Beijing.

Proceeds will be donated to Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

MSF is an international independent medical humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural and man-made disasters, and exclusion from health care in nearly 70 countries. A private, non-profit organization, Doctors Without Borders was founded in 1971 as the first non-governmental organization to both provide emergency medical assistance and bear witness publicly to the plight of people it assists. 

Edward Mapplethorpe / Patti Smith

Edward Mapplethorpe, a native New Yorker, began his solo career in 1990 and was quickly acclaimed for his fine edged luminous nudes, portraits, and still lives. However, it was the artist’s innovative work underwater (Undercurrents, 1992-94) that first distinguished him as a unique talent in bridging the gap between photography and abstract painting. Mapplethorpe continued to push the boundaries of black and white traditional photography and in 2007, a solo exhibition in New York featuring the TimeLines series showcased his most ambitious project to date. These works elucidate the artist’s formal exploration of line by combining the gestural impulses of action painting with non-camera techniques. TimeLines, along with the subsequent series TimeZones, traveled to Berlin, Germany (2008) and Rome, Italy (2009). New work by the artist will be exhibited in New York in spring 2011.

Patti Smith, rock icon/singer/writer/visual artist, was a highly influential figure in the punk rock movement of the 70s and became one of the most important poet/songwriters of her generation. She retired from the public eye in 1979 to raise her two children with her husband Fred “Sonic” Smith in Detroit. Since her re-emergence as a performer and artist in the late 90s, she has been the recipient of a multitude of restigious awards. In March 2007, Smith was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In January 2008, the documentary by Steven Sebring, “Dream of Life: the movie” premiered at the Sundance Festival and continued to receive awards at various film festivals worldwide. In September 2010, her memoir, Just Kids, was awarded the Non-Fiction Book of the Year by the North Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association. http://www.pattismith.net/souvenance.html

Proceeds will be donated to Friends In Deed -- The Crisis Center for Life-Threatening Illness.

Friends In Deed, founded by Mike Nichols and Cynthia O’Neal in 1991, has helped transform many thousands of lives through a wide array of free programs and services. Friends In Deed provides emotional and spiritual support for anyone diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-threatening physical illnesses. Support is also available for family, friends, and caregivers of those who are ill, and anyone dealing with grief and bereavement.