'The Beauty of Surviving' art gala to feature photography, live music to reflect personalities of cancer survivors
Fourth-year psychology student Ava Dobrzynska is the creator of “The Beauty in Surviving” art gala, a fundraising event that will educate attendees on the dangers of cancer and will display art by “The Simpsons” director Chuck Sheetz. The gala will be held at the Fowler Museum today, and proceeds from the event will go to benefit the American Cancer Society.
"The Beauty in Surviving" Art Gala
Today, 5 p.m.
Fowler Museum, FREE
By Elia Rogers
May 13, 2011 12:11 a.m.
Ava Dobrzynska wants the world to know that she is more than just an ovarian cancer survivor ““ she’s an artist and dancer with an insatiable appetite for life.
Dobrzynska, a fourth-year psychology student, has funneled that passion for life and art into the creation of “The Beauty in Surviving” art gala, a fundraising event that will educate attendees on the dangers of cancer and the importance of managing one’s health.
The gala will feature pieces of art from “The Simpsons” director Chuck Sheetz, stock photographer Scott Stulberg, Dobrzynska and several cancer survivors, as well as live performances from band thatwasthen and Signature A Cappella. All donations and auction proceeds of the event, which takes place today at 5 p.m. in the Fowler Museum, will go to the American Cancer Society.
“I really wanted to give back to survivors and others who have lost those to cancer and bring more awareness to how prevalent cancer actually is,” Dobrzynska said.
Those who attend will also be treated to free food and massages, donated by Heavenly Massages, and listen to guest speakers Sheetz and Stulberg.
Dobrzynska, who said she finds refuge in her artistic endeavors, will contribute several pieces of her photography to the gala. She said the series of portraits will capture the personalities of cancer survivors, a facet of the person often forgotten to the ailment.
“I am trying to show more about the personalities of these people, the beauty of these individuals. I’m not showcasing things about their cancer but about who they are,” Dobrzynska said.
According to Dobrzynska, the idea for the event came to her shortly after attending her first Relay for Life. After years of hiding her cancer trauma from others, Dobrzynska, now in remission, said that she was inspired to share her experiences with others and start living again.
“I was tired of hiding in this shell and letting cancer take me over. I wanted to let go, and I wanted to be free of it,” Dobrzynska said.
Laura Zdrowski, a fourth-year English student and director of Signature A Cappella, said live performances will echo the theme of survival.
According to Zdrowski, the a cappella group will sing upbeat songs in addition to some pieces that are more toned down, emotional pieces, all of which were chosen by Dobrzynska. Their performance will include covers of songs from Duffy, Aretha Franklin, Billy Joel, Destiny’s Child, Sara Bareilles and the song “Amazing Grace.”
According to Brenton Sinay, a theater, film and television alumnus and thatwasthen vocalist, the band was chosen for its passionate playing.
“We wanted to calm it down and play a more laid-back show, but (Dobrzynska) said the reason she chose us was because we brought a fighting element to the whole thing,” Sinay said.
The band will close the evening’s performance with a cover of the well-known Beatles’ tune “All You Need is Love,” a request made by Dobrzynska, an avid fan of both the Beatles and thatwasthen.
Art on display will include portraits of survivors ranging from a little girl to a female weight lifter in her 60s and cancers ranging from melanoma to breast cancer. Dobrzynska said her aim was to show that cancer is universal.
“Cancer isn’t something that just happens to kids. It happens to everyone: a little boy, a teenage girl, a grandmother. It affects every gender and every race and every economic status,” Dobrzynska said.
The gala will feature original works from several survivors.
According to Jacque Giebel, a library and information sciences graduate student and president of ARTiFACTS, a UCLA group devoted to archival and librarian aspects of the arts and the gala’s main sponsor, this aspect of the evening will be beneficial to both survivors and those who have not been directly affected by cancer.
“Art is a very healing thing and helps survivors express what they were going through with their cancer,” Giebel said. “I think the art will speak for itself because it is coming from a place that a lot of people don’t experience for themselves.”
