Image Courtesy of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Del Ray Artisans, like many non-profits, has been struggling during the coronavirus pandemic. This month, they are turning to an unusual source of support — HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.
On Oct. 5, the show announced on Twitter they will be taking a unique collection of art on tour that the show acquired during the pandemic. In addition, the show will give the museum or gallery that displays the art a $10,000 donation.
Kelly MacConomy began Del Ray Artisans’ pitch with, “I’m the Outreach Director for a non-profit art gallery in Alexandria. Thanks to Covid-19, we are more non-profit than ever!”
“I tried to be cheeky, appealing to John Oliver’s irreverent humor,” MacConomy said.
Residents who want to support Del Ray Artisans in its quest to display the art (and receive a $10,000 donation from the show) can use social media. Send a Twitter message or tag @LastWeekTonight on Twitter, send a message or post to Last Week Tonight on Facebook, or tag @LastWeekTonight on Instagram.
Del Ray Artisans was notified earlier this fall that it narrowly missed qualifying for a grant of $10,000 from Alexandria's Commission for the Arts. MacConomy was struck by the fact that the offer from Last Week Tonight matches the amount the gallery had requested from the city.
MacConomy applied to Last Week Tonight's contest art the same day it was announced. She emphasized the political nature of Alexandria and name-dropped administrative officials living here and significant historical figures who resided here, including George Washington, Robert E. Lee, Gerald Ford and Richard Nixon.
MacConomy also hopes the gallery will stand out for displaying the HOPE letters from the U.S. Honor Quilt project, which has been to the National Mall, Freedom Plaza, and the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials.
“The $10,000 grant for the City that we didn’t get was to go toward operating costs,” MacConomy said. “This money will go a long way to offset our expenses.”
The show will pick five museums or art galleries to showcase the work.
In the collection is a portrait of Wendy Williams eating a lamb chop, which Williams gifted to the show. There is also a painting of two anthropomorphic rats in an erotic embrace, titled “Stay Up Late,” which the show offered the owner $1,000 plus $20,000 to a local food bank of their choosing for the piece. The last painting is a tie still life by Judy Kudlow, the wife of National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow. The show offered $10 for one of her paintings along with another donation to a local food bank.
The show’s contest also includes a $10,000 donation to a local food bank. If selected, Del Ray Artisans is considering giving the donation to ALIVE! Inc.
The show has not indicated when finalists will be chosen, but Del Ray Artisans has already picked out where they would display the paintings.
