Art For All , a “pick-your-price” art sale where all proceeds support an organization that provides civic education to Boston’s immigrant community, will come to Brookline for the first time this weekend.
The fundraising event will take place Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Brookline Teen Center at 40 Aspinwall Ave. Sculptures, paintings and drawings — all donated by local artists — will be for sale, with 100% of proceeds going to Brazilian Women’s Group, a nonprofit organization that supports Boston’s immigrant community through rights advocacy.
Jeremy Fischer, a Brookline resident and high school adjustment counselor, is the founder of Boston For All, a volunteer-run community initiative that hosts events such as Art For All to support local organizations whose mission addresses the current political climate.
Fischer wants to make one thing clear about Art For All: “It is not an auction.”
Instead, the “pick-your-price” model serves as a way to reduce barriers for those who want to support whichever organization Art For All is partnering with, regardless of their financial circumstances.
“Oftentimes art goes to people of significant means,” Fischer said. “But not only do people of means want to be a part of helping others — everybody wants to be a part of helping others. This is an opportunity for people to give what they think they should, or what they’re able to.”
This will be the sixth installation of Art For All and events like it since Boston For All started in 2017. Fischer said Boston For All as a whole came together after the 2016 presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, where he said there was an overwhelming feeling of “wanting to do something.”
It all began with an event called Run For All, in which Fischer hosted a run around Jamaica Pond in Jamaica Plain. Runners who participated donated to the American Civil Liberties Union. Events that followed included Rock For All and Art For Abortion Access.
“What we do is we just try to find an organization that is meeting the moment and make sure that all of the money that is donated in whatever way, goes directly to them,” Fischer said.
Brazilian Women’s Group, the organization partnering with Art For All this time around, joins the ranks of groups like City Life/Vida Urbana, La Colaborativa and The Boston Immigration Justice Accompaniment Network.
Heloisa Galvão, a Jamaica Plain resident and journalist, is the executive director and co-founder of Brazilian Women’s Group. The nonprofit organization got its start in 1995 as a community-based group that mainly served as a place for Brazilian women to talk about their experiences in Boston.
“I saw that people were talking for Brazilians when they didn’t know what they were talking about,” Galvão said. “We said, ‘We need to be visible. We need to occupy this space. We need to fight for our rights.’”
Now Brazilian Women’s Group operates as a fountain of information for its members, specifically regarding immigrants’ rights, health advocacy and civic education.
“I don’t care how you came here, first class or swimming,” Galvão said about her approach toward Brazilian Women’s Group. “You are a human being. You still have rights.”
Silvina Mizrahi, a West Roxbury resident and art educator, is one of the several creators who will donate pieces of their work for this installation of Art For All.
In the past, Mizrahi has donated pieces including bronze and silver sculptures, as well as mixed media on canvas.
“You feel good if your neighbor is feeling good,” Mizrahi said. “This is what motivates me.”
In total, previous Art For All installations have raised over $61,000 for their respective organizations.
Galvão said Brazilian Women’s Group is “privileged” to have been approached by Art For All.
“Art is culture and culture is political,” Galvão said. “Art — for us — is a tool that make[s] our voice louder.”
This story is part of a partnership between Brookline.News and the Boston University Department of Journalism.