Art for AIDS took place Friday night at The Galleria at the San Francisco Design Center and attracted a large crowd ready to bid on amazing artwork in order to help raise money for the UCSF AIDS Health Project. The event started at 6pm and guests arrived within the fifteen minutes of the doors opening. By 6:15pm, the venue was packed with an enthusiastic and friendly crowd perusing the artwork which was up for bid.

Art for AIDS offered a generous buffet and hosted bar which helped keep the lively atmosphere alive. There were three main sections for the silent auction which included the “Red Section” for Mixed Media, the “Blue Section” for Photography and the “Purple Section” for paintings. Within the first half-hour of the event, the majority of silent auction items attracted multiple bidders and the bidding wars ensued.

The live auction kicked off with a once-in-lifetime live performance by Franc D’Ambrosio who thrilled the crowd with “Phantom of the Opera.” After his performance, the first live auction item was an oil and acrylic on canvas painted by the singer himself.

The live auction generated a lot of enthusiasm and items earned multiple bids, many of which went well over their expected value. This is good news for the UCSF AIDS Health project which directly benefits from the funds raised during the Art for AIDS event.

The UCSF AIDS Health Project works hard to provide emotional support and psychological support for HIV patients. The testing services and health services provided by the UCSF AIDS Health Project are invaluable to the community and rely largely on donated funds.

To learn more about the UCSF AIDS Health Project, please visit ucsf-ahp.org

To learn more about Art for AIDS, please visit artforaids.org

*Article originally written and published by Cathy on Examiner.com