Yamaha Donates MODUS to Record-Breaking Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Auction
BUENA PARK, Calif. Last May, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation hosted its 19th Annual "Culinary Evening with the California Winemasters" on the "Midwest Street" backlot at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California. Honorary Co-Chairmen Suzie and Paul Frank, proprietors of Gemstone Vineyard and Celestino Drago, chef/owner of Drago Ristorante and Enoteca Drago Ristorante, teamed up with over 45 celebrity chefs from around the world and 67 of California's most talented winemakers to present a sumptuous tasting and hors d'oeuvres extravaganza for 1,466 guests. The benefit broke previous fundraising benchmarks and secured $1,603,877 for the Foundation's vital research and care centers. Yamaha Corporation of America donated a Yamaha MODUS F11 Digital Piano with a custom back panel designed by quintessential Los Angeles artist Andy Moses.
Barbara Balik, director of special giving for the Foundation, says, "This was the first time a piano was ever offered at our event and, to add to the excitement, it was auctioned as a live lot, another first for our audience." John Durham made the winning MODUS bid. Other live auction items included a twelve-day voyage to Antarctica with a stopover in the Presidential Suite at the Ritz-Carlton in Santiago, Chile and a 12-magnum case of very rare vineyard designate Cabernet Sauvignons from Paul Hobbs.
The title of Moses' painting, "Eighty Miles High," is a take-off on The Byrds' tune "Eight Miles High." "Blue is my color, the color of the earth," says Moses. "Many of my images are inspired by or suggested by surfing or by looking out of airplane windows at the light moving in a fleeting way. I listen to music non-stop while I'm working," he continues. "A lot of it is atmospheric, like Pink Floyd or Sigur Ros (a rock band from Iceland), but it could be The Sex Pistols if I need a different kind of energy. Usually when I am involved with a charity benefit, I just donate a painting, but since music is a big influence on my work, it was nice to tie this back into something musical."
To create his signature works, Moses pours pearlescent acrylic medium over a surface and then drags it with tools he's created to produce luminous effects that often suggest familiar images. "This painting, like all of my work, suggests different natural phenomenon, like looking through the atmosphere down at the earth. This is my favorite painting I've done from this vantage point, and, musically speaking, I like the suggestion of atmosphere around a musical instrument."
Cystic fibrosis remains North America's number one inherited disease killer of children and young adults. Many of the therapies currently being developed for CF have application for other diseases since the CF gene is the only disease that can affect every major organ in the body. The Wall Street Journal's SmartMoney recognizes the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation as "the top charity in the health-research category." The Winemasters is the largest CFF fundraiser in Los Angeles, and has raised more than $16 million for the Foundation over 19 years. For more information, please visit www.cff.org.
For more information on the Yamaha MODUS digital piano series, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Piano Division, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622; telephone (714) 522-9011; or e-mail infostation@yamaha.com.
 MODUS with "Eighty Miles High" by Andy Moses |
The title of Moses' painting, "Eighty Miles High," is a take-off on The Byrds' tune "Eight Miles High." "Blue is my color, the color of the earth," says Moses. "Many of my images are inspired by or suggested by surfing or by looking out of airplane windows at the light moving in a fleeting way. I listen to music non-stop while I'm working," he continues. "A lot of it is atmospheric, like Pink Floyd or Sigur Ros (a rock band from Iceland), but it could be The Sex Pistols if I need a different kind of energy. Usually when I am involved with a charity benefit, I just donate a painting, but since music is a big influence on my work, it was nice to tie this back into something musical."
To create his signature works, Moses pours pearlescent acrylic medium over a surface and then drags it with tools he's created to produce luminous effects that often suggest familiar images. "This painting, like all of my work, suggests different natural phenomenon, like looking through the atmosphere down at the earth. This is my favorite painting I've done from this vantage point, and, musically speaking, I like the suggestion of atmosphere around a musical instrument."
Cystic fibrosis remains North America's number one inherited disease killer of children and young adults. Many of the therapies currently being developed for CF have application for other diseases since the CF gene is the only disease that can affect every major organ in the body. The Wall Street Journal's SmartMoney recognizes the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation as "the top charity in the health-research category." The Winemasters is the largest CFF fundraiser in Los Angeles, and has raised more than $16 million for the Foundation over 19 years. For more information, please visit www.cff.org.
For more information on the Yamaha MODUS digital piano series, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Piano Division, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622; telephone (714) 522-9011; or e-mail infostation@yamaha.com.