Melbourne advertising industry helps homeless youth with Lighthouse art auction

Bringing together Victoria’s marketing and advertising industry to support homeless children, the annual Lighthouse auction will be held on Thursday October 6 at the 27 Gipps Street Gallery in Richmond, Melbourne.

The first evening is devoted to work from both agency Youngbloods and final year students from the key Melbourne art and photography colleges. All works are to be based on the artists’ interpretation of the purpose and the people of the Lighthouse Foundation with the Best of Show being auctioned off.
Day two is dedicated to a more traditional format of high quality works from industry greats together with works from emerging artists from the art world.

Managing partner of marketing agency Fenton Stephens, Roger Stephens said he wanted to deepen the advertising industry association by working with the Youngbloods group and their president Byran Micallef.
"We're making it a night where all Youngbloods are encouraged to attend to see their peer's creative works including a live debate," he said.

The debate, 'Can something as commercial as advertising be considered an art form?' will be battled out between ad land heavyweights, established artists and renowned art critics.

The event began 2004, conceived like many great ideas, in the back of a pub. CEO of Melbourne-based agency Boiler Room, Kelly Addis, organised a few local creative directors to donate some of their own paintings with all proceeds going to the Lighthouse Foundation.

Kelly said that as an industry, it can sometimes be seen as one that sometimes creates vulgar expressions of capitalism.

"I thought it would be good to give something back to society and what would be better than to give to those unfortunate kids, who for all sorts of reasons and accidents of circumstance find themselves without a home to live and grow in," she said.

The auction has a goal of raising $10,000 with the aim being to raise around $100,000 all up to help the plight of Melbourne’s homeless youth.