Art For Humanity's Sake: A Silent Art Auction for Gaza reception

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Matthew Braunginn

"A Broken Land" by Matthew Braunginn is part of "Art for Humanity's Sake," an online auction for Palestine aid.

"A Broken Land" by Matthew Braunginn is part of "Art for Humanity's Sake," an online auction for Palestine aid.

Work by more than 25 artists is part of this silent auction coordinated by Madison-Rafah Sister City Project, to benefit Middle East Children’s Alliance’s humanitarian work in Gaza. Art is on display at Java Cat, which will also host a meet and greet with artists from 5:30-7 p.m. on July 2. The auction is open through 5 p.m. on July 8 at 32auctions.com/ArtforGaza2024.

media release: Madison-Rafah Sister City Project (MRSCP) is partnering with more than 25 artists to present a silent art auction in response to the worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

Bidding will open online June 28 and run until July 8 on more than 50 works of art, with 100 percent of proceeds going to Middle East Children’s Alliance  (MECA) for immediate purchase and distribution of desperately needed humanitarian aid in Gaza.  Many of the artists represented  are Wisconsin based, and their donated work includes a wide array of art, including photography, acrylic and mixed media paintings, pottery, textiles, prints, and embroidery. 

Available pieces can be viewed now at https://www.32auctions.com/ArtforGaza2024, and online bidding will open at 8AM Central time on June 28.

An exhibit of the art will open June 21 at Java Cat Coffee Shop, 4221 Lien Road on Madison’s east side.

Java Cat will host a meet-and-greet event on Tuesday, July 2, from 5:30 to 7 pm. with a chance to meet some of the artists who have donated their work, and learn more about Middle East Children’s Alliance’s work in Gaza.

Because entry of humanitarian aid is severely (and unnecessarily) restricted by Israel, the people of Gaza are facing an unprecedented level of death, injury, displacement, disease, trauma and destruction of their ability to survive in their own land. Hunger is now so severe that the large majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million people -- especially babies, children, pregnant women, the elderly and those suffering from chronic diseases -- face starvation and famine.

In spite of these difficulties, MECA’s Gaza staff has worked from the beginning of the crisis with local and international partners to source food and other necessities. MECA's team and partners in Gaza are procuring food and hygiene supplies from stores, warehouses, factories, and farmers.  

Recently MECA has been using international donations and their network of local grassroots community organizations to:

• Deliver boxes of fresh produce from farmers and other food items like rice and lentils to 14,000 families now in Khan Younis (next to Rafah) and “Middle Areas” just north.

• Provide soap, shampoo, sanitary pads, laundry detergent, toothbrushes and toothpaste.

• Prepare about 8,400 hot meals a day, even after they had to close their community kitchens in Rafah.

• Bring clean water by truck to families who fled from the North to Gaza City, and to several areas in areas of Khan Younis for people who fled from Rafah.

• Begin installation for four new solar-powered “Maia” water desalination and purification units to provide drinking water to thousands of families daily.

MRSCP was founded in 2003 by concerned Madison citizens seeking to build person-to-person relationships with citizens of Rafah, a city and refugee camp at the southern border of Gaza, Palestine. For the past 21 years MRSCP has supported many humanitarian projects for the people of Rafah including water purification systems, mental health resources, a playground, a children's library, a house reconstruction, and more, many of them in partnership with MECA.  

While many of these projects have undoubtedly been destroyed or severely damaged by Israel's 7 month bombardment, MRSCP remains committed to working with Middle East Children's Alliance to deliver humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.  As of this writing, the "Grassroots to Gaza" campaign has raised over $26,000.00 from all sources. Learn more (and also donate directly) at https://tinyurl.com/madisontogaza.