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Read the press release here.

Bowery Mission and LES Art Scene Team Up for Silent Auction

By Lisha Arino | November 24, 2014 10:10am
 The first-ever L.E.S. Art Drive on Dec. 14, 2014 will auction off artwork from neighborhood artists and galleries to raise money for the Bowery Mission.
L.E.S. Art Drive to Auction Artwork to Benefit the Bowery Mission
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LOWER EAST SIDE — The Bowery Mission’s latest drive isn’t trying to collect food — it’s accepting art donations instead.

Dozens of Lower East Side artists and galleries have donated more than 40 pieces for the first-ever L.E.S. Art Drive, a silent auction to benefit the mission on Dec. 14.

“We’re thrilled that the local art community has come together to support The Bowery Mission,” said Ed Morgan, president and CEO of The Bowery Mission, in a press release.

“The Mission has relied on the support of the neighborhood and the arts are an integral part of the identity of [the] Lower East Side.”

The drive will feature work worth $500 to $5,000, officials said, as well as a limited-edition tote by artist Curtis Kulig, which features his signature smiley face.

The Bowery Mission has provided meals, clothing, shelter and services for the city’s homeless for 135 years, said James Winans, the organization’s chief development officer.

The money raised, he said, will go towards the organization’s operations, like paying its electrical or heating bill.

“The Bowery Mission is privately supported. We don’t receive government funds so every gift, every dollar raised is so important,” he said. "We try to stretch it as far as it goes.”

The public can bid on the artwork from 1 to 6 p.m. on Dec. 14 at the New Museum’s ground-floor space at 231 Bowery, located next door to the Bowery Mission.