Saturday, May 4th, 2024. INDUSTRIA. Brooklyn, New York — Doors opened to a fabulous affair curated by Amref Health Africa Organization.
The non-profit organization hosted the Annual ArtBall and an adjoining art auction, creating a connection between African culture and philanthropy to celebrate and highlight the talent of the African continent, at INDUSTRIA in Brooklyn, NY. Co-chairs of the event included Carmelo Anthony, and Spike and Tonya Lewis Lee. Notable guests included honorary, Kehinde Wiley; Lindsey Peoples, Earl Nurse, Storm Ascher, Indira Cesarine, Nadia Nascimento, Nadja Sayej, Carol Jenkins, Malik Roberts, Wanjiru Mwangi, Tariku Shiferaw, and Quiana Parks. The Artball 2024 event was hosted by Sahr Ngaujah, and Franklin Sirmans presented world-renowned artist Kehinde Wiley with the Rees Visionary Award.
Bakare Mubarak
Amref Health Africa was founded in 1957 by three surgeons as the Flying Doctors of East Africa. After seeing the necessity of care in their region, doctors Sir Michael Wood, Sir Archibald McIndoe and Tom Rees, created a strategic plan to provide medical care in East Africa, the region where the three doctors worked for years as reconstructive surgeons. The Artball also housed an illustrious Art gallery in which the proceeds for the art auction aided in the efforts of the Amref Health Africa organization, to provide medical care in the continent of Africa. The auction for the selected art pieces consisted of 42 Contemporary African, Pan-African and Black Art from artistic veterans and up and coming talents. The silent auction, whose proceeds are sent to benefit Amref healthcare work across the continent of Africa, was hosted on Sothebys.com until the closing of the bids on Monday, May 6.
Jungwon Kim, Isamar Gonzalez, Ashaka Givens
The collection auction bids consisted of works curated by Storm Ascher, Cierra Britton, Alexandra Scotland, Natalie Kates, and Nadia Nascimento. Notable auction artists this year include Hank Willis Thomas, Khalif Tahir Thompson, Adama Delphine Fawundu, Alex Anderson, Damien Davis, Genevieve Gaignard, Jamel Robinson, Lewinale Havette, Megan Gabrielle Harris, Crystal Yayra Anthony, Roscoe B Thicke, Rudy Shepherd, Troy Jones, and Turiya Magadlela.
Kehinde Wiley
Before the party began, an exclusive dinner and salon was held which included a fireside chat between Kehinde Wiley and Marc Lacey, Managing Director of the New York Times, among other speakers. Guests poured into the open floor of the ballroom where light mingling and grazing took place before the ceremony began to honor the prolific Kehinde Wiley. After his heartfelt expression of gratitude for being honored and upon acceptance of his award, Wiley announced a $700,000 donation to Amref Health Africa.
Guests enjoyed savory bites by YESBABE and Amazing Graze; an array of beverages, both alcoholic and non-acholic, were provided by Ten To One, iBest Wines, Mary Taylor Wines, Mishka, Martell, Cantera Negra, and Aplos. Partners for the Annual ArtBall 2024 included Pfizer, Open Society Foundation, General Art Company, Focus NY, The Lay Out, and Black Pearl Wealth Management Group. 
A special step and repeat was created by Matay & Co, utilizing West African fabrics for the guests to enhance their fashionable attire. A vibrant and special live performance by Les Ballet Afrik fascinated the crowd as they lit up the set in Ball Culture fashion with the five elements of Vogue of spins and dips, catwalk, duckwalks, hand and floor performances. The dancers brought the space to life and once the floor was cleared, the guests danced the night away with music by FON Sound System.
