By Donna Cornelius
Robert Mondavi could have been writing a tagline for Vino & Van Gogh when he said wine is “warmth of heart and generosity of spirit. Wine is art.”
That’s because the annual event centers on both wine and art – and it gives warm-hearted, generous folks an opportunity to support United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Birmingham.
Set this year for 6 to 10 p.m. on Aug. 18 at Iron City Bham, Vino & Van Gogh is hosted by the UCP junior board.
“We’ll have wine tastings from four vendors, a band – Almost Brothers – and live and silent auctions,” said Jennifer Lawes, junior board president. “Bunni Miller will create a piece of art during the event, and it will be part of the auction.”
Those who attend Vino & Van Gogh can bid on another painting that has a special connection to UCP of Greater Birmingham. Artist Elise Serota visited UCP’s preschool, the Hand in Hand Early Learning Program, and enlisted the help of some little hands. The result is a bright, colorful painting Serota calls “The Beauty Within.” The children’s handprints are incorporated into a painted tree in the design.
“The handprints are symbolic of climbing the tree of life,” Serota said. “With art, there are no limits, no boundaries and the sky’s the limit – and that’s what this painting is all about. It’s about the beauty that surrounds us daily, and the kids and teachers at Hand in Hand are such an example of that.”
Serota, a graphic artist, said she started with a rich acrylic medium, molded it, and then painted on top of it. After the children had added their handiwork, she put on the finishing touches and glazed the painting with a varnish.
Serota said she loved collaborating on the painting with the Hand in Hand children.
“It was an awesome experience,” she said. “It changed me more than it changed them.”
Other auction items include artwork, photos, restaurant gift cards, beach and quail-hunting trips, and a package that’s likely to spur some lively bidding by football fans. It includes two tickets to the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta with accommodations at the Hyatt Regency and two tickets to both the Coaches Luncheon and Legends Dinner.
During Vino & Van Gogh, Iron City will provide “heavy appetizers and indulgent desserts from its farm-to-table dining room,” said Jennifer Dowdle, UCP of Greater Birmingham’s marketing director.
One of the participants in the event’s wine tasting is Neighborhood Hops and Vine in the Shops of Crestline Park.
“We opened in July 2011,” owner Ginger Busby said. “We lived in the neighborhood at the time and had worked in beer and wine. We saw there was a need. Being a local wine shop with coaching and helping people make informed beer and wine decisions was a dream we had.”
She said she’ll try to offer a “good view to what our store does” at Vino & Van Gogh.
“That means championing brands that are good quality and good value – things off the beaten path,” Busby said. “We’ll have some bubbles and a good mix of reds and whites – and rosé. Rosé is year-round a top seller.”
Forest Pitts, store manager and wine buyer, worked with Busby on wine selections for the Vino & Van Gogh tasting and said he looks forward to meeting people at the event.
Those who attend the fundraiser can participate in a wine pool.
“You buy a ticket – there’s a limited number – and don’t know what you’ll get, because all the wine is wrapped,” Busby said. “It could be from a $15 to a $50 bottle of wine.”
Vino & Van Gogh raises money for UCP of Greater Birmingham programs designed to promote self-reliance, present choices and improve the quality of life for children and adults with disabilities. The organization serves more than 4,000 infants, children and adults with disabilities, including intellectual disabilities, traumatic brain injury, developmental disabilities, cerebral palsy, autism, Down syndrome and spina bifida.
UCP’s Hand in Hand Early Learning Program serves 195 children and their families. Children with and without disabilities learn, play and grow together in the inclusive program.
UCP’s Dowdle said Vino & Van Gogh helps provide $100,000 in Hand in Hand scholarships each year.
Neighborhood Hops and Vine has participated in Vino & Van Gogh since 2012, Ginger Busby said.
“We got involved because we had a customer who was on the UCP board, Mike Roy,” she said. “When we got to the event, we realized it was a lot of fun. It’s a good way to connect with customers, and it’s for a cause that’s important.”
Tickets to Vino & Van Gogh are $35 per person and $60 per couple. To buy tickets or for more information, visit ucpbham.com. Iron City Bham is at 513 22nd St. S. in Birmingham.
