FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Steven Henke
[email protected]
(760) 656-8401
Wine and Design Event September 16
Benefitting Desert AIDS Project’s Artist Program
PALM SPRINGS, CA (September 1, 2017) For their first event of the season on September 16, Wine & Design will feature Desert AIDS Project’s Client Artist Program. Initiated by D.A.P.’s Valerio Iovino, Associate Director of Personal Development and Wellness, the Artist Program provides exhibition opportunities for local artists by partnering with local organizations and businesses, including Gallery500 on South Palm Canyon Drive. These opportunities bolster sales and income for the participating artists who often rely on these sales for income.
WHAT: Wine & Design Event
WHERE: Tippers Gourmet Marketplace 276 N Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs CA
WHEN: Saturday, September 16 3PM – 5PM
WHY: Benefiting Desert AIDS Project’s Artist Program
The community is invited to learn more about D.A.P.’s Client Artist Program during a Q&A and discussion with Valerio Iovino during the event that will feature presentations from local artists.
Co-produced by Felix Tipper (Tipper’s Gourmet Marketplace) and Scott Holman (Scott Holman Creative), Wine & Design is a monthly, informal social and networking event that aims to provide opportunities for mini-fundraising, advocacy and awareness that reflect the two business industries they represent: design and food/wine. Both producers, being Palm Springs residents and business owners, want to support the community, city and region they love. Events will take place each month on a Saturday afternoon from September through May.
About Felix Tipper and Tipper’s Gourmet Marketplace:
TGM is an artisan deli and caterer that offers custom, made-to-order breakfast and lunch items as well as market products such as cheeses, olives and wines. The shop opened in Palm Springs in the summer of 2016 and has built a steady following ever since.
For more information about Tipper’s Gourmet Marketplace – www.tippersgourmetmarketplace.com
About Scott Holman Creative
Based in Palm Springs, Scott Homan Creative (SHC) provides creative direction, graphic design and visual brand development for clients ranging from small businesses to global corporations. Holman’s more than 25 years of diverse experience includes both print and digital projects in a variety industries such as travel/hospitality, retail, food and entertainment, finance, tech, small business and non-profit.
About From Zero to 500: Desert AIDS Project’s Client Art Program
Sometimes conventional goals take unconventional paths. In late 2015, Valerio Iovino, Associate Director of Personal Development and Wellness for Desert AIDS Project, assumed leadership of the agency’s effort to help clients find work—many of whom are HIV+ men who have been on disability and have not worked in years.
“I noticed that many clients were actually artists who were seeking to make a living from their artwork. And I knew that the skills and experiences of artists can make it more difficult to place them in conventional jobs,” said Iovino. “So I began researching the local art market and how artists get into galleries so they could sell their work.”
“Partnering with another local non-profit organization, we organized the first art show in November 2015 in a community venue. For thirty days, sixteen clients exhibited their artwork, resulting in sales of $6, 000,” recalled Iovino. “ Building on the outcomes of this show, we organized a second show in March 2016, attracting thirty exhibitors and hundreds of visitors, resulting in sales of $22,000, along with an additional show in December 2016 held at Desert Patio furniture store in Rancho Mirage,” he continued.
Spurred by their success, the D.A.P. client artist collaborated to launch a gallery program beginning in the fall of 2016 at Gallery500. This exhibition of D.A.P. client art at Gallery500, located in the Five Hundred on South Palm Canyon, was inspired by collaboration between the building’s owner, John Monahan and Iovino.
“I was thrilled to work with Valerio and the client artists at D.A.P. as part of the launch of Gallery 500 in our newly renovated building,” said Monahan. “Having their work featured in this iconic landmark provides a sophisticated environment for professionals, clients, and guests.
About Desert AIDS Project
Desert AIDS Project (D.A.P.) is a Federally Qualified Health Center in Palm Springs, CA offering D.A.P. Total Care – a combination of medical, dental, counseling, social services, support groups, alternative therapies, in-house pharmacy and lab, and other health and wellness services. D.A.P.’s sexual health clinic, The DOCK, offers STD testing and treatment, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), and HIV and HCV testing. D.A.P.’s Get Tested Coachella Valley campaign, the nation’s first region-wide free HIV testing and access to care initiative, was recognized by the White House for helping to bring about an AIDS-free future. D.A.P. has earned a “Four Star” rating from Charity Navigator for the sixth consecutive year – landing D.A.P. in the top 6% of nonprofits rated. The distinction recognizes that we exceed industry standards in terms of our financial health, accountability, and transparency. Visit www.desertaidsproject.org, www.thedockclinic.org, and www.gettestedcoachellavalley.org to learn more.
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