Art Unleashed 2016 Raises More Than $350,000 for Scholarships

May 2, 2016

The University of the Arts’ 7th Annual Art Unleashed Exhibition & Sale, which featured one-of-a-kind work by UArts students, faculty, alumni and staff, raised more than $350,000 for the Sam S. McKeel Promising Young Artists Scholarship Fund. The University’s largest fundraiser kicked off on April 7 with more than 600 guests attending the gala Opening Night Party – one of Philadelphia’s can’t-miss art events – and continued with a public sale through April 11.

Among the attendees who packed Hamilton Hall were Art Unleashed Spotlight Artists Piper Shepard BFA '85 (Fibers) and Distinguished Visiting Professor of Crafts Warren Seelig, as well as other exhibiting artists who were on hand to discuss their work.

Pieces on display and for sale included contemporary jewelry and ceramics, to boundary-pushing photography and crafts, as well as selections of furniture, painting and sculpture. Highlights from the opening night event included performances by students in Rumble, the School of Music's bucket-drum ensemble, who greeted guests as they arrived. A student jazz quartet kept the crowd entertained from the Solmssen Court stage.

Since 2010, Art Unleashed has raised over $2,100,000 for the Sam S. McKeel Promising Young Artists Scholarship Fund, which has helped more than 1,000 students attend the University of the Arts.