If you are active in Ottawa cultural circles—and it’s very likely that you are if you are reading this—here’s the scoop on a fundraising event that I’ll be attending that’s as worthy as any I’ve come across.

A-R-T: An Evening for the Ottawa School of Art's Outreach Program is slated for Wednesday, April 28th from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at Métropolitain Brasserie Restaurant (700 Sussex Drive). The $100 ticket packs quite a punch, including live entertainment from Charles Pachter, Megan Jerome, and master of ceremonies Alan Neal.

Cash raised through ticket sales, donations, and live and silent auctions will help the Ottawa School of Art (OSA) hit a fundraising goal of $20,000 earmarked for its outreach program of visual art classes for children and youth who face difficult economic or social circumstances.

This OSA’s goal is enough to provide 160 to 200 children with two terms of classes (once a week) at all eight of the OSA's community partner locations throughout Ottawa. In 2008/09 the OSA Outreach Program reached more than 750 children and youth in ten different communities.

Tickets are available in advance at the OSA's main campus (35 George Street), by fax order form available on the OSA web site, or at the door.

If you can’t make it to the event but want to donate online, go here:
http://www.canadahelps.org/CharityProfilePage.aspx?CharityID=s38009

Tony