The FACET Foundation raises R1.4 million at a special fundraising art auction at Delaire Graff Estate in Stellenbosch, South Africa

On Thursday, 24 November 2011, the Delaire Graff Estate hosted a charity art auction featuring the donated works of 15 leading South African artists to benefit FACET (For Africa’s Children Every Time), the charity set up by Laurence Graff in 2008.  The evening was in support of FACET’s latest partnership with the Pebbles Project, a South African-based charity created to provide support to the vulnerable children of the Winelands.  The funds raised on the night well exceeded expectations, with a grand total of R1.4 million being raised for a very good cause.

FACET aims to provide a crucial resource for the Pebbles Project through the development of a Graff Leadership Centre that will be built in the Stellenbosch Winelands.  The Centre will support Pebbles in their mission to better the lives of children from disadvantaged backgrounds with special educational needs, through providing support and training to local children and establishing after-school provision for older children living in the Winelands.  It is reported that a staggering 12% of children in the area suffer from Foetal Alcohol Syndrome.

The evening included a drinks reception, followed by a dinner featuring the work of culinary genius Chef Christaan Campbell paired with Delaire’s award-winning wines, with entertainment provided throughout the night by one of South Africa’s most celebrated female groups, 3 Tons of Fun.  Former Miss South Africa Jo-Ann Strauss officiated as Master of Ceremonies for the evening’s guests who included South Africa’s top philanthropists and art collectors. 

The auction was presided over by renowned auctioneer Stephan Welz of Strauss & Co, and featured the work of the following artists: William Kentridge, Anton Smit, Deborah Bell, Cameron Platter, Dylan Lewis, Matthew Hindley, Colbert Mashile, Mikhael Subotzky, Lionel Smit, Gerhard Deetlefs, Ndikhumbule Ngqinambi, Barend de Wet, Anton Karstel, Sue Pam-Grant, and Johann Louw.  Lionel Smit’s work Girl Submerged achieved the highest result of the evening of R190,000, a record for the artist in South Africa, followed closely by Deborah Bell and Dylan Lewis.

The evening also featured additional lots courtesy of Delaire Graff Estate, including two cases of Delaire’s Reserve wine range, two exceptional vintages created by the Estate’s award-winning winemaker Morné Vrey.  The Reserve range includes the Delaire Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2008 and the Delaire Sémillon/Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2009.  The Delaire Cabernet Sauvignon, a wine reflecting the true expression of the Estate’s terroir, has gained the well deserved rating of 5 stars in the “2011 Platter’s Wine Guide”.  An indulgent weekend for two at Delaire was also auctioned, as was a shopping experience at the 100% Capri boutique located on the Delaire Graff Estate.  The final lot of the night was a beautiful diamond butterfly necklace courtesy of Graff Diamonds, featuring 49 stunning diamonds.  A special prize draw featuring a variety of exclusive prizes was also held on the night.

To continue the fundraising activity, a special Tree of Hope from the evening will stay on display in the reception of Delaire Graff Estate.  Envelopes are tied to the tree with coloured ribbon, each colour representing a donation level such as helping a child improve their literacy skills, and are available for purchase from Reception at Delaire Graff Estate.  In addition, a voluntary donation of R10 will be added to every Delaire Graff Restaurant bill, and R5 of every bottle of Delaire Chenin Blanc 2010 sold from the Delaire Graff Estate will be donated to FACET.

The evening was a memorable showcase of incredible talent and treasures that South Africa has to offer, and raised a significant amount of funds for a very worthwhile cause.

FACET is very grateful to all the artists and galleries who have donated work, including iART Gallery (now Brundyn + Gonsalves), SMAC Art Gallery and the Goodman Gallery.

The FACET Foundation is excited to announce a special fundraising art auction to be held at Delaire Graff Estate

On Thursday, 24 November 2011, the Delaire Graff Estate will host a charity art auction featuring the donated works of 15 leading South African artists to benefit FACET (For Africa’s Children Every Time), the charity set up by Laurence Graff in 2008.  The event will focus on raising funds for FACET’s latest partnership with the Pebbles Project, a South-African based charity created to provide support to the vulnerable children of the Winelands. 

FACET aims to provide a crucial resource for the Pebbles Project through the development of a Graff Leadership Centre that will be built in the Stellenbosch Winelands.  The Centre will support Pebbles in their mission to better the lives of children from disadvantaged backgrounds with special educational needs, through providing support and training to local children and establishing after-school provision for older children living in the Winelands.  It is reported that a staggering 12% of children in the area suffer from Foetal Alcohol Syndrome.

The evening will include a drinks reception, followed by a dinner featuring the work of culinary genius Chef Christaan Campbell, paired with Delaire’s award-winning wines, with entertainment provided throughout the night by one of South Africa’s most celebrated female groups, 3 Tons of Fun. 

The auction will be presided over by renowned auctioneer Stephan Welz of Strauss & Co, and will feature the work of the following artists: William Kentridge, Anton Smit, Deborah Bell, Cameron Platter, Dylan Lewis, Matthew Hindley, Colbert Mashile, Mikhael Subotzky, Lionel Smit, Gerhard Deetlefs, Ndikhumbule Ngqinambi, Barend de Wet, Anton Karstel, Sue Pam-Grant, and Johann Louw.  A special exhibition of the work will be on display at Delaire Graff Estate from 20^th October leading up to the auction.  FACET is very grateful to all the artists and galleries who have donated work, including iART Gallery, SMAC Art Gallery and the Goodman Gallery.

The evening will also feature additional lots courtesy of Delaire Graff Estate.  Available for bidding will be Delaire’s Reserve wine range, two exceptional vintages created by the Estate’s award-winning wine maker Morné Vrey.  The Reserve range includes the Delaire Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2008 and the Delaire Sémillon/Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2009.  The Delaire Cabernet Sauvignon, a wine reflecting the true expression of the Estate’s terroir, has gained the well deserved rating of 5 stars in the “2011 Platter’s Wine Guide”.  A weekend at Delaire will also be up for auction, and will include a two-night stay in one of the beautifully designed lodges, with a three-course dinner at the newly opened restaurant Indochine, and a couples treatment in the Spa.  100% Capri, the fine Italian linen brand, have also very generously agreed to donate two outfits for the auction, which the winner can select at the exclusive 100% Capri boutique located on the Delaire Graff Estate.  As the final lot of the night, a beautiful diamond butterfly necklace from Graff Diamonds, featuring 49 stunning diamonds, will be auctioned as well.  A special prize draw featuring a variety of exclusive prizes will also be held on the night.

To coincide with the opening of the exhibition on the 20^th October, a Tree of Hope will be on display in the reception of Delaire Graff Estate.  Envelopes will be tied to the tree with coloured ribbon, each colour representing a donation level.  Each envelope will indicate what the donation will contribute to, such as helping a child improve their literacy skills, and will be available for purchase from Reception at Delaire Graff Estate.

In addition to the Tree of Hope, a voluntary donation of R10 for FACET will be added to every Delaire Graff Restaurant bill, and R5 for every bottle of Delaire Chenin Blanc 2010 sold from the Delaire Graff Estate will be donated to FACET.  The evening is set to be a memorable showcase of incredible talent and treasures that South Africa has to offer raising essential funds for a very worthwhile cause.

For additional general giving, donation cards will be available from Reception at Delaire Graff Estate, or by contacting marketing@delaire.co.za or info@facet-foundation.org.

Download the 2011 FACET auction catalogue here

FACET hosts the official opening of the Graff Leadership Centre in Botswana

The FACET Foundation is pleased to announce the official opening of the second Graff Leadership Centre, located in Mochudi, Botswana, on 11 October 2011.

The Centre is dedicated to creating a supportive environment through innovative educational and psychological support programmes for vulnerable youths aged 12-18+.  The Centre hosts the "Finding the Leader Within" leadership programme, a groundbreaking initiative that aims to empower youth, primarily those who are orphaned and vulnerable with a special focus on girls and their caregivers, to attain employment, sustain a respectable quality of life and become productive members of society. The Centre will provide the opportunity for these youths to become self-sufficient leaders in their communities; to promote the ability of youths, especially orphans, vulnerable children and girls to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS, sexual abuse, alcohol and substance abuse, as well as other peer or family pressure; and to advocate for youth leadership opportunities among leaders, businesses and communities.

Stepping Stones International (SSI), who operates The Centre, is a non-profit, non-governmental organization serving orphaned and vulnerable adolescents. The Graff Leadership Centre leverages off SSI’s existing model with FACET providing additional support, infrastructure and capital.

The partnership between FACET and Stepping Stones International demonstrates how a public-private partnership hinging on collaboration and sharing a common goal can change lives and promote beneficiation.

The Centre focuses on the development of job skills, community leadership, culture, gender, rights and responsibilities, responsible confrontation, financial management, academic leadership and the art of networking.  There is a strong emphasis on tertiary education, mentorship and job shadowing and internships; a newly built computer centre will be a key component of the programme and skills learned.

The beneficiaries of the new Graff Leadership Centre include more than 500 vulnerable children, youth and their caregivers and community stakeholders with outreach to 6,500 youths in schools, grandmothers and community leaders.

His Honourable Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources Dr P.H.K Kedikilwe officiated at the event and was joined by the Private Secretary to the President Mr Eric Molale, Ministerial leaders, Village Chief Poni, the youth in the leadership program, community leaders, business leaders, SAFDICO and Stepping Stones International’s partners.

The programme of the official opening included welcome remarks by Village Chief Kgosi Time and a keynote speech by Dr P.H.K Kedikilwe who also wrote a quote on a wall of the Centre on the topic of leadership.  Eugene Jackson, a rising musician in Botswana entertained and the youth leaders performed a drama entitled “Finding the Leader Within”.  A tour of the Centre, complete with a drinks reception, signalled the closing of the day.

FACET and South African artist Gerhard Deetlefs Host Sculpture Workshops

While FACET and The Pebbles Project continue to search for land for the next Graff Leadership Centre, a series of sculpture workshops have been set up for the children involved in the programme courtesy of South African artist Gerhard Deetlefs. 

The workshops take place every second Saturday with lunch served, where the children create designs out of wax, from jewellery to animal statues.  The wax designs are then given time to harden from which molds are made, and filled with hot liquid bronze, which the children can then take home and display proudly.  Says Deetlefs, “The sights, sounds and smells of a working foundry are fascinating for the children.  What has impressed me most is the unusual ways in which the children approach the making of a sculpture object. I have seen some really out-of-the-box thinking that has astounded me at times”.

The workshops have given the children an opportunity to explore an art medium they might never have been exposed to otherwise, and the children have all really enjoyed the continuing workshops, which have illustrated a wider point about FACET’s work.  As FACET and all its partners in sub-Saharan Africa give time, resources and opportunities to children who are in real need, the children themselves give back just as much.

The goal of the Graff Leadership Centre in South Africa will be to enrich the lives of children from disadvantaged backgrounds with special educational needs, especially those whose lives are affected by alcohol, and to establish after-school provision for older children living in the Winelands. 

[Gerhard Deetlefs is devoted to increasing awareness of social injustice and is committed to using his artistic voice to speak for those who endure the horrors of sexual exploitation; Deetlefs envisions his work as a campaign to awaken social consciousness. While contemporary South African art remains socially aware, Deetlefs aims to use his work as a poignant display which provokes its audience to become an advocate for change.]

The Graff Leadership Centre in Botswana Opens

FACET is excited to announce that in May 2011, the Graff Leadership Centre in Mochudi, Botswana was completed.  The Centre is dedicated to creating a supportive environment through innovative educational and psychological support programmes for vulnerable children and orphans aged 12-18.  The Centre will host the "Finding the Leader Within" leadership programme, a groundbreaking programme that aims to empower youth, primarily those who are orphaned and vulnerable with a special focus on girls and their caregivers, to attain employment, sustain a respectable quality of life and become productive members of society.  The programme will include leadership training and a computer centre, job and life skills, and tutoring and income-generating activities.  The beneficiaries will include more than 500 vulnerable children, youth and their caregivers and community stakeholders with outreach to 6,500 youths in schools, grandmothers and community leaders.