Art auction expected to raise nearly $1M for Casey House in Toronto

An auction of Canadian contemporary art was expected to raise close to $1 million in Toronto on Tuesday for a specialty hospital that provides care to people living with and at risk of HIV.

Art With Heart, now in its 29th year, drew an estimated 500 people to the Art Gallery of Ontario. The fundraising effort, which is both a silent and live auction, benefits Casey House, which provides a mix of inpatient, outpatient and community-based services downtown.

The auction was held for the first time in person since the COVID-19 pandemic began. It featured about 75 works by Canadian artists. In 2020, it was a virtual fundraising event but not an auction, and in 2021, it was a hybrid event in which packages were sent to participants.

"People are really happy to be back at an art auction, at a party, doing good things for an organization that works really hard to support Torontonians in the city," Joanne Simons, CEO of Casey House, told CBC Toronto before the event.

During the event, participants looked at the art, then they went upstairs for the auction itself where there were two auctioneers dealing with bids.

Stephen Ranger, one of the auctioneers and a member of the Casey House board of directors, said the event was a small party in its early years but it has grown into a major fundraiser supported by important Canadian artists.

"It's a thrill to be back at a live auction," Ranger said on Tuesday. "To be back in person at the AGO, it's really amazing. It's a boisterous crowd, lots of drinks, lots of fun, lots of bidding, lots of great art. It's a lively group."

Ranger said artists who take part in the auction know their works of art are being appropriately showcased. He added that the philanthropy at the auction has a direct impact on people's lives.

"People relate to the energy of this event. Certainly, they relate to the cause of Casey House and the work we are doing in our community," he said.

Artist Bidemi Oloyede, whose work was featured in the auction, said he explores individual identity in his art and photographs "folks in our community as a way to solidify their identity in history." Photography provides immortality, he added, and his work means he is creating a "massive archive" of photographs of people. He said he participated in the auction in 2019.

"I'm trying to give back to the community and help whoever I can help. And this is one of the best avenues for that," he said.

Simons said the hospital sees more than 1,000 people, there has been more demand for health care it provides since the pandemic, and people come for a wide variety of services. The hospital recently opened a supervised consumption service for people with addiction issues, and it strives to be inclusive and free of judgment, she said.

"We really try to treat people like humans and not think about their disease as much as who they are as a person and how we can support them," she said.

On its website, Casey House says: "We are Canada's first and only hospital for people living with and at risk of HIV, and have a holistic and interdisciplinary approach to health and well-being.