Adopt The Arts' eighth annual benefit concert will be held on Tuesday, May 12 at the Avalon in Hollywood. Table seating and tickets are available starting today via www.adoptthearts.org. As with last year's successful event, this immersive evening of art and music will launch the "2020 Sound And Vision Awards" honoring legendary bassist and lyricist for BLACK SABBATH, Geezer Butler, the longtime drummer for the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, Chad Smith, and visual artist Shepard Fairey. The intimate crowd will celebrate these iconic artists who have made a meaningful impact on our culture through their music and art, and at the same time raise awareness and funds for Adopt The Arts — a 501 (c)(3) organization — whose mission is to fund music and art education across the country and build partnerships to ensure that all students have access to a well-rounded education. Adopt The Arts has announced the initial music guests joining them for performances, which include co-founder Matt Sorum (GUNS N' ROSES), Slash (GUNS N' ROSES), Duff McKagan (GUNS N' ROSES), Steve Stevens (BILLY IDOL), Robert Trujillo (METALLICA), Billy Duffy (THE CULT), Dave Kushner (VELVET REVOLVER), John 5 (ROB ZOMBIE) and Andrew Watt (POST MALONE, OZZY OSBOURNE), with more to be announced. As the first visual artist to be presented with the Adopt The Arts "Sound And Vision Award," Fairey will create a special pop-up art gallery onsite with a retrospective of his artwork focusing on the social justice issues that are important for him; a limited number of pieces will be on sale. "Art can save your life. Art is definitely therapy for its creator, but also for the audience since art connects people to their universal humanity," says Fairey, a supporter of Adopt The Arts since its inception. "I'm 30 years into my art career and can't imagine going a day without creating and that all began as a child. Luckily for me, I've always had creative outlets and after some high school negotiations, my parents provided me with an even richer art education for which I am forever grateful. To deny elementary school children access to art education is to deny their development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills as well as the ability to express themselves, collaborate and connect with others and more. Art enables people, no matter what age, religion, language or geographic location with a universal understanding of each other and the world around us all." "Doing these annual events for Adopt The Arts are always rewarding with so many great artists stepping in to help out," says Sorum. "I'm very grateful for all of my musician and artist friends who I've met throughout my career that believe in this organization. I feel this year might be our best yet with the great Chad Smith and Geezer Butler along with the incredible Shepard Fairey as our honorees. This show is going to rock!!!" "These individuals all embody the qualities we want to instill in our students: unbridled creativity, hard work, dedication, singular focus and a love of the arts," adds Adopt The Arts co-founder, activist and entrepreneur Abby Berman. Adopt The Arts was co-founded in 2010 by Sorum, Berman and founding board member, Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actor Jane Lynch. Adopt The Arts was formed in response to major cuts to arts education budgets throughout the Los Angeles Unified School District Elementary schools. To this date, most students in elementary grades do not receive access to art and music classes on a consistent basis. Officially launching in the fall of 2012, Adopt The Arts "adopted" a title one elementary school and has now donated over 1000 instruments to LAUSD. Adopt The Arts provides art and music classes to kindergarten through fifth grade students during the school day. It is the mission of Adopt The Arts to raise awareness about the lack of funding for art and music education across the country as well as build partnerships to ensure that all students have access a well-rounded education regardless of where they live and go to school.
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