Local artists are teaming up to raise funds for the Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF+) through an online auction and an in-person art exhibition. RVA4CERF+, set to take place from Jan. 21-24, will feature artwork donated by over 50 Virginia artists to support the relief efforts for craft artists impacted by Hurricane Helene.

The exhibition will be free and open to the public, hosted at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond’s True F. Luck Gallery. Exhibition hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. In addition to the in-person exhibition, all artwork will be available for online bidding during the same period. The online auction will begin 10 a.m. Jan. 21 and close 8 p.m. Jan. 24. Proceeds from the auction will directly benefit CERF+’s relief fund for artists who have lost studios, supplies, and irreplaceable work due to the hurricane.

“In the wake of Hurricane Helene’s devastation, over 50 local artists have united to help fellow creatives who’ve lost studios, supplies, irreplaceable artwork, and even their entire livelihoods,” said Debra Reid, an artist and organizer of the event. “We hope to inspire art lovers everywhere to support our efforts by bidding on the incredible donated artwork.”

The exhibition will feature a variety of media from Virginia artists, including Susie Ganch, Leigh Suggs, Daniel Rickey, Curtis Newkir and Jeff Vick.

The auction will be hosted online, and details can be found at visarts.org/rva4cerf.

Jordan Brown, executive director of the Visual Arts Center of Richmond, emphasized the importance of supporting artists.

“At VisArts, we’re always looking for creative ways to support artists,” Brown said. “Witnessing the ongoing impact of Hurricane Helene, our exhibitions team was eager to jump in to help this opportunity for craft artists to support one another

A closing reception will take place Jan. 24 from 6 to 8 p.m. with a speech by Ruby Harper Lopez, executive director of CERF+. For more details, please visit visarts.org/rva4cerf or follow @rva4cerfplus on Instagram and Facebook.