“Usually, what (children) are hearing is drum machines and Dr. Dre or heavy-metal guitars,” he says via telephone from Dublin. What he and Seezer wanted to do is show “there’s a few other instruments out there.” Gavin talks to USA Today. Check the right hand column for an additional real audio excerpt from the phone interview.
Topic: Charity
An Evening at Christie’s
U2 fan describes the invitation only Peter and the Wolf reception at Christie’s in L.A (October 14, 2003): An Evening at Christie’s.
“After a while, a lovely Irishwoman was introduced. It turns out she’s the President of the Irish Hospice Foundation. She gave a lovely speech telling the story of how Gavin got involved with the project. Then she told of how Bono came over to her house with the girls one Saturday, and did all the drawings that day! He had some studies prepared (which were hung at Christie’s also), but he did most of the actual illustrating that single Saturday. She said this was filmed, and it’s on the CD. Then she introduced Gavin. He came to the mic and charmed the daylights out of everyone in the room! He told a story about a loved man; a man so loved that everyone thinks he’s God. That man is called Bono. Then he told of a man so dark and dangerous that everyone thinks he’s the devil; that man is called Gavin. He talked about his involvement with the project, and how the money will be distributed from the sales of the booklet and CD. The money from the sales of the CD and booklet set will go to hospice care in the country where the CD was purchased.”
Pictures (thumbnails) at Wire Images.
The NO Cow
Gavin and Andrea Corr took part in the 2003 Cow Parade event, a sponsored public art exhibition for charity.
They painted a ‘NO’ themed cow (‘anti drugs, anti violence, safe sex’) with help from the girls from The Sheriff Street After Hours School Education Project. The sponsors’ money will go towards the Sheriff Street Project.
Between 100 and 150 cows were be placed on the streets of Dublin from June to September 2003. Then the cows were auctioned in aid of The Dublin Simon Community and The Jack and Jill Trust.
RTE reports on the unveiling of the ‘No Cow’:
“Andrea Corr and Gavin Friday have unveiled a special cow for Cow Parade, made with the help of children from Sheriff Street.
The No Cow was created by Corr, Friday, design artist Ciaran Crowley and teenagers from the Sheriff Street After Schools Educational Project.
The cow is made up of a variety of symbols which say no to drink, drugs and violence.
Corr and Friday have been working with the Educational Project for the last two years, using the language of music and art to help educate and develop teenagers in the area.
The No Cow is part of Cow Parade Ireland and will join the many other colourfully decorated cows on the streets of Dublin. ”
Muc’s ready for take off
Remember Muc the Flying Pig? Gavin Friday and Laurent Mallet’s 12-foot piggy bank has finally landed near Dublin airport after its busy Kosovo adventures and some quiet time in the shed.
From The Irish Hospice website:
“Visitors to Dublin Airport this year may be surprised by the sight of a 12-foot high, 8-foot wide flying pig known as MUC.
MUC – the brainchild of rock impresario, Gavin Friday, and artist, Laurent Mellet – is the emblem of the Irish Hospice Foundation’s latest fundraising initiative, aimed at raising money to develop hospice facilities for sick children.
MUC involves a series of events nationwide, targeting every sector of the community. Schools and children have been particularly encouraged to participate. Thanks to Fossett’s Circus, one lucky child will win an exciting prize: a free trip to the circus for his or her entire school.
MUC is sponsored and supported by the Irish League of Credit Unions, and each participating Credit Union branch has its own MUC piggy bank and is encouraging members to run MUC events.
We are grateful to the Irish League of Credit Unions, Fossett’s Circus and Aer Rianta for their support.”
From the Irish Independent, dated Sunday June 22:
“One of the most recent pieces to go on display at the airport has an important secondary function – raising funds for the Irish Hospice Foundation. The brainchild of artists Gavin Friday and Lauret Mellet, Muc is a 12 foot high and eight-foot wide stainless-steel pig, which is effectively a piggybank for those wishing to make donations to the hospice organisation. Miniature versions of Muc are also on display, and in use, at most of Ireland’s credit unions. “Art is important,” says Moore, “And at Aer Rianta we are proud that we acknowledge that importance.”"
Box set makes 2 million Euro for hospice
RTE 2FM DJ Dave Fanning rang Gavin during his show devoted to ‘celebrity auctions’ on Wednesday. We caught the tail end of the interview, just after Gavin announced the Peter and the Wolf box set has already made 2 million Euro for the Irish Hospice. Listen to the rest of the interview (Windows Media) to find out more about an animated version of Peter and the Wolf.
Jokers get auctioned
Gavin’s 2001 Art:pack contribution, will be auctioned off on Wednesday April 10th.
The original art works from Art:pack, the best-selling deck of cards designed by leading contemporary artists, including a joker by Bono, will be auctioned by Christie’s at the Royal Hibernian Academy on April 10th 2002. Art:pack has sold over 25,000 copies and has raised almost €500,000 for the Irish Hospice Foundation.
Viewing takes place on Tuesday April 9th 2002 at the Royal Hibernian Academy in Ely Place from 12 noon to 5pm and on Wednesday April 10th from 11am to 4pm followed by a reception at 6pm with the auction itself at 7.30pm. Any art lover interested in owning an Art:pack original is invited to attend. Christie’s will also be auctioning a number of Art:packs signed by all of the contributing artists – a definite collector’s item.
Absentee bids via fax or e-mail will be accepted. e-mail info@hospice-foundation.ie for more information.
Art:pack auction
From artpack.ie: Christies will be auctioning off the original art works for “Art:pack”, the pack of cards designed by Irish artists (including jokers by Gavin, Bono and an Ace of Clubs by Guggi) in aid of the Irish Hospice Foundation.
The event will take place at The Royal Hibernian Academy in Dublin. Viewing will be all day Tuesday April 9th with a reception on Wednesday April 10th at 6.00pm, followed by the auction at 7.30pm.
Artists play cards for Irish Hospice Foundation
Gavin, Bono and Guggi have contributed to Art:pack, a deck of playing cards in aid of the Irish Hospice Foundation with each card designed by a contemporary artist. Bono and Gavin designed the jokers.
Other people involved in the project include Glen Dimplex winning artist Matthew Barney, Clea van der Grijn, Sean Hillen and Sibylle Ungers.
The Irish Hospice foundation was founded by Dr Mary Redmond in 1986. Recognising the need to improve care services available to people suffering from terminal illness in Ireland, the IHF launched a special appeal with the aim of raising £1 million in one year.
Last year, Gavin performed ‘Peter and the Wolf’ with the orchestra of the Royal Irish Academy of Music, to support the Hospice foundation. In 2000 Gavin and Bono contributed to the IHF’s Whoseday Book, a diary for the year 2000 bringing together special contributions from 366 of Ireland’s foremost writers, painters, poets, philosophers and personalities.
www.artpack.ie
Muc in dSide magazine
Aileen Corkery, Visual Arts Consultant of Temple Bar, writes about Muc in dSide magazine: “Another unexpected wonder was the level of adoration that the public poured out to a steel pig with wings – the imagination of Gavin and Laurent in full gear.”
It’s MUC day
It’s MUC day! In Ireland, you can lodge your moolah at AIB branches throughout the country.
