Scavolini by Cucina Moda in downtown Birmingham is first and foremost a high-end kitchen and bathroom design business, but several times a year it becomes an art gallery, party space and multi-purpose backdrop for special events that support all sorts of causes while also promoting Scavolini's business.
On May 22, about 250 guests will come to Niki and Alisha Serras's store at 202 E. Maple for the Art of Giving Fundraiser. It'll be Scavolini's fourth year of hosting Art of Giving, the brainchild of Tom Maniaci, senior VP and creative director of advertising at the
Sussman Agency in Southfied. He is also an artist and painter who started
Frame Your Face in 2005 as a way to use his celebrity pop art to raise money for small charities. Since it began, Frame Your Face has been invited to more than 40 non-profit fundraisers and has helped raise more than $175,000, says Maniaci.
At Art of Giving at Scavolini, Maniaci's 50-by-50 paint by number of Albert Einstein (John Lennon and Frank Sinatra have been featured in previous years) will take its place near sleek, modern kitchens. Guests can buy a square and paint it . When the night is done the work is complete, and a small Southeast Michigan charity walks away with $10,000 or $15,000. "For a small charity that can be very impactful," says Maniaci.
He is grateful to Scavolini for hosting the event, which was at capacity last year. Instead of moving to a larger space, ticket prices went up to $75. Proceeds go to a different charity each year. This year the recipient is SOUL, Support Our Unique Learners, a cause dear to Kim Adams, a former Detroit meteorologist who is the master of ceremonies at this year's Art of Giving.
"It's a great way to promote their store and also be a part of the community," says Maniaci, who also gives thanks to Sussman agency president Alan Sussman. " There are art openings, charity events. It's a smart way to show the beautiful work they do and also do some good."
Source: Tom Maniaci, creative director of Sussman Agency and founder of Frame Your Face
Writer: Kim North Shine
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