March150: Paintings raise money for premature birth initiatives

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March150: Paintings that raise money for premature births

The Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, Virginia is a nonprofit dedicated to visual arts enrichment. It is home to eighty-two artists’ studios, the largest collection of publically accessible studios in the United States, and six galleries, including the Target Gallery, which hosts national and international exhibitions.

One such exhibition, March150, brings together the community to support both art and the March of Dimes in an annual fundraiser.

Artists pay a $15 entry fee and donate their works, all on the provided 10×10 wood panels, agreeing that the proceeds from the sale will go to support the local chapter of the March of Dimes and the Gallery’s outreach programming. The resulting exhibition is a wall of paintings, all the same size but otherwise different.

March150: Paintings that raise money for premature births

An art exhibition, March150, brings together the community to support both art and the March of Dimes in an annual fundraiser.

For March of Dimes supporters, it’s a chance not only to raise money, but to talk about premature births and support those who face the challenge, as one in nine families across the nation do.

“The families who come to this event are normally the heart and soul of our mission at the March of Dimes. A lot of times, pregnancy loss and premature birth are things that people don’t feel comfortable talking about so it’s kind of taboo to put it out there.  And it’s good to be able to talk about it because so many women face these things,” said Nicole Johnson, a senior community director for March of Dimes.

Meet the artists and volunteers making an impact in this week’s Close-Up, as we visit the artists’ studios and exhibition at the Torpedo Factory.

Follow the Torpedo Factory on Twitter: @TorpedoFactory