ArtBlink, the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center’s annual gala, took place Feb. 20 at The Kirklin Clinic.
The event was organized by Comprehensive Cancer Center Advisory Board Gala Committee members Joel Welker, Rick Swagler, Mitzi S. Davis, Robert Carr, George Wheelock, Lessley Hynson, Alisa Belcher and Suzanne Wald.
As guests entered The Kirklin Clinic on the first floor, artist Ronald Bayens captured the scene in a 24”x30” oil on canvas that will hang in the Comprehensive Cancer Center. An eclectic buffet by Iz Catering and a performance by the Rock Candy Band kept guests entertained until late in the evening. The event raised about $600,000, with donations still coming in.
As more than 900 guests mingled, 18 artists worked with a variety of media to create on-the-spot masterpieces that were purchased via silent auction. The event also included an Artists Gallery, where guests could purchase additional works by ArtBlink artists.
Presented by AutoTec, Jemison Investments Co. Inc. and O’Neal Industries, ArtBlink supports the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center’s highest priorities, including seed funding for new projects and additional funds needed to move new treatments quickly and safely from the laboratory to the patient. ArtBlink also supports services for patients and their families seeking life-saving care at UAB, as well as outreach efforts in communities across Alabama and the Southeast.
Guests attending the event included: Dr. Edward and Barbara Partridge, Dr. Selwyn Vickers, Robert and Lessley Hynson, Craft O’Neal and Lisa Oliver, Richard Adams, Mary Sue Durant, Will and Dana Ferniany, Joan Rasberry, Bert O’Neal, Bert Jr. and Susanne O’Neal, Camper and Mary Chollet O’Neal, Johnathan and Amy Stevens, Joel Welker and Pam Meisler, Caldwell and Cathy Marks, Kate Kiefer, Rick and Susan Swagler, and Jose Pereira and Sherri Jackson.
