On Sunday the 9th of October, 18 gifted artists armed themselves with paint, material and equipment and set out to compete at the 5th Annual Live Street Art Battle – an event to raise funds for The Common Good and life-changing medical research.
The talented group gathered at the iconic Gold Coast hot spot, The Avenue in Surfers Paradise and were given 90 minutes and a canvas to create a masterpiece that would wow the crowd.
Following the spectacular showcase of skills, the artworks were auctioned off with the proceeds going to The Common Good, an initiative of The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation.
“The Common Good often use the phrase ‘People powering medical discoveries’ and through this event, we’ve done just that, raising enough money to fund over 143 hours of medical research. This is truly an impressive effort,” says Michael Russo, co-owner of The Avenue.
The event, now in its fifth year, was started due to the personal health struggles of a staff member’s loved one. That loved one was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy – a heart muscle disease – in 2016 when he was just 28. He was placed on medication and eventually had a mechanical heart pump inserted. Over time however, the need arose for him to be placed on the transplant list.
The heart transplant provided a second chance at life and so started their commitment to supporting medical research into heart disease and organ transplant research to give back to the hospital where his life was saved.
Support generated for The Common Good translates into more time for medical research in the areas of mental health, dementia, lung disease and heart disease – conditions that sadly affect 90% of Australians.
An hour of research via The Common Good can be supported for just $48, and it’s through these hours of valuable time that breakthroughs can happen, resulting in more lives saved.
This year the Street Art Battle, which was presented in conjunction with Phresh Ink, The Fashion Collective, Kimbralou, and also included a fabulous runway show. The event has been described as “nothing short of amazing”.
What is also amazing is the support that the event at The Avenue in Surfers Paradise has generated over the last five years, with more than $25,000 raised to date.
“We are so deeply grateful to The Avenue and all the incredible artists, spectators and community members that came together for the Live Street Art Battle. This is what being part of The Common Good is all about. People coming together as a collective to really make a difference in the lives of others by supporting life-changing medical research. We know this event is a personal one for The Avenue and we thank the whole team for their efforts in creating an absolutely incredible event,” said Michael Hornby OAM, The Common Good.
And it wouldn’t be the Street Art Battle without a talented winner. This year the artist who was crowned number one was Ryan from Gourami Art.
“At only 18-years-old Ryan has a huge career in front of him and we can’t wait to follow his progress, and also see what he paints in the venue,” The Avenue wrote on their Facebook page.
