3-D ARTIST DONATES TIME, TALENT, ARTWORK TO HELP MDA
Summer Camp in the City |
TUCSON, Ariz., March 20, 2000 - World-famous 3-D artist Charles Fazzino brought a new dimension of generosity to the fight against neuromuscular diseases in 1999, heading a variety
of efforts that helped raise thousands of dollars for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.Fazzino inspired and delighted 60 youngsters with neuromuscular diseases at an MDA summer camp by overseeing the creation of a colorful three-dimensional mural. He also donated proceeds from a percentage-of-sales event at two New York-area art galleries to the national voluntary health organization.
At the August MDA summer camp at Camp Pa-Qua-Tuck at Center Moriches, N.Y., Fazzino and 60 campers teamed up during a teaching and creation session. The result: a unique, 4-by-6-foot artwork called "Summer Camp in the City."
"Working with organizations that help children is very important to me. I have a 9-year-old daughter, and if she were ever in need, I would want to be able to turn to organizations like MDA for support," Fazzino said. "The MDA's dedication to helping children in need is unequaled, and it's been an honor for me to be able to contribute to their cause by doing something that I love."
A Fazzino work combines quirky cartoon-like characters with incredibly detailed scenes that together reflect a strong image of the subject. The popular pieces' 3-D aspect - the result of a complex process Fazzino has pioneered and patented - creates a visually entertaining feast of detail and vibrant colors that literally spring off the page.
"Summer Camp in the City" is no exception. The mural depicts a dizzying New York City scene that highlights some of the campers' favorite Big Apple restaurants, sports venues and cultural destinations. In the center of the mural, the busy city scene blends seamlessly into a patch of green trees that represent the edge of Camp Pa-Qua-Tuck. Self-portraits and images created by the campers along the bottom of the mural add extra life and character. Glitter, rhinestones and other colorful objects decorate the eye-catching work, which radiates with vivid colors.
|
"The kids were shouting out the names of different tourist sites, and he would include them in the picture. Some of the kids helped color in the picture. It was a really great experience," said Christina Rosa-Ragona, an MDA health care service coordinator in New York, who oversaw the activity. The camp was one of 80 week-long summer camp sessions conducted by MDA across the country each year for thousands of youngsters affected by neuromuscular disorders.
The piece debuted at Fazzino Arts for MDA, a gala event held at Rye Ridge Art Gallery in Rye Brook, N.Y., in October. The evening was the highlight of a month-long fund-raiser, in which 20 percent of all sales of Fazzino's artwork at two area galleries owned by Matthew Bayer was donated to MDA. That effort alone raised $8,000.
In addition, Fazzino donated seven pieces of artwork - some valued individually at more than $1,000 - to be auctioned at MDA fund-raising events in major metropolitan areas across the United States.
"We're delighted that an artist of Charles Fazzino's caliber and celebrity has become involved in the fight against muscle-wasting diseases," MDA Senior Vice President and Executive Director Robert Ross said. "We're deeply grateful for his talent and time, and pleased that his efforts went above and beyond what we'd imagined."
"Summer Camp in the City" now makes its home in the MDA Art Collection, which is displayed at the Association's national headquarters in Tucson, Ariz. The Collection features artwork by people with neuromuscular diseases from across the country.
The Collection was established in 1992 to focus attention on the achievements of artists with disabilities, and to emphasize that physical disability is no barrier to creativity. Selected pieces from the Collection travel to various exhibits across the country.
Fazzino is best known for his renditions of his hometown, New York, but he has depicted locales worldwide such as Jerusalem, Las Vegas and Texas. His work also portrays celebrities, animated characters and sports teams such as the New York Yankees and the Miami Dolphins.
MDA is a voluntary health agency working to defeat neuromuscular diseases that affect children and adults through programs of worldwide research, comprehensive services, and far-reaching professional and public health education.
MDA fights nine forms of muscular dystrophy, Lou Gehrig's disease, spinal muscular atrophy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and other disorders affecting muscles and nerves. The Association's programs are funded almost entirely by individual private contributors.
Read more on this site:
|
