Los Angeles Art Show gala to benefit the Art of Elysium

This January, arts patrons, professionals and enthusiasts will join forces to support the Los Angeles based charity, The Art of Elysium, and celebrate the opening of the 16th Annual Los Angeles Art Show. Taking place on Wednesday, January 19th, 2011 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, the evening promises to be a high-profile and sophisticated event benefitting a worthy cause.

As Fine Art Dealers Association (FADA) Executive Director, Jane Glassman, states, "We are very excited about our partnership with The Art of Elysium. We are delighted to partner with an organization that has a mutual vision and commitment to nurturing the next generation of artists and art lovers."

Founded in 1997, the Los Angeles-based Art of Elysium provides more than 30 000 children arts workshops, in hospitals across Southern California. The organization's creative programs are led by working professional artists, musicians and celebrities who donate their time to lead workshops in: acting; art; comedy; fashion; music; radio; songwriting; and creative writing. The Art of Elysium also produces Art Kits that are distributed to children in hospitals so that they can continue to develop the skills they learned in their workshop privately. A portion of the proceeds from the Los Angeles Art Show Opening Night Vernissage tickets sales will provide Art Kits to hospitalized children across Southern California and inspire a legacy of commitment to the nurturing power of the arts in years to come.

Celebrity mentors and supporters include: Penelope Cruz, Eva Mendes, Courteney Cox Arquette, Ali Larter, Anna Paquin and Elijah Wood.

The Los Angeles Art Show Opening Night Vernissage is a hallmark on the Los Angeles social calendar. With more than 4000 patrons in 2010, this event has consistently drawn an affluent and loyal audience of museum patrons, political dignitaries, high-profile art collectors, celebrities and supporters of arts education including: Lisa Ling, James Franco, Brad Garrett, Victor Garber, Steve Martin, Rhea Perleman, Ethan Suplee, Martin Sheen, Emilio Estevez, Eric La Salle, Michael York as well as art patrons Eli Broad and Gayle Roski.

The Vernissage provides a first-look at the Los Angeles Art Show. Building on the success of 2010, with more than $1 million of artworks sold during opening night, the 2011 Gala featuring the Art of Elysium, promises to deliver a more spectacular showing.The Los Angeles Art Show plays host to an international art-buying public, reconfirms the ambitions and commitment of LA's homegrown collectors, and further defines the city of Los Angeles as a global art-hub. More than 100 prominent galleries from around the world exhibit thousands of works, from Rembrandt to Ruscha and beyond¬--painting, sculpture, works on paper, photography, and video.

Presented by the Fine Art Dealers Association (FADA.COM), the Los Angeles Art Show will take place on January 19-23, 2011 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, West Hall A, 1201 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90015.

For additional information about the Los Angeles Art Show, please visit www.laartshow.com.

For additional information about The Art of Elysium, please visit www.theartofelysium.org.

General admission to the Los Angeles Art Show is $20.