Less than a month to go and much to report

It’s been a while since we last posted an update, but plenty has been going on.

Tickets are finally on sale for The Autists May 2nd extravaganza, so wooo-hooo!

Visit www.theautistsgala.com to order yours now. There are tickets for the concert only, or Gala tickets for the entire event including reception, live & silent auctions and concert. Seating is limited, so hesitate not.

Charles Pachter, our art curator, has just taken delivery of the last of the ten works of art that Albert Schultz (of Soulpepper Theatre Co.) will auction live. The painting, an untitled oil on canvas by Peter Doig, arrived in Toronto this morning via his agent in New York. Charlie says it’s stunning, and compares it to a Gauguin. Bidding is expected to be fierce — with NYC art collectors apparently wanting in on the action — so start sweet-talking your banker now. We hope to have an online bidding system set up soon to start the action pre-event.

Peter Doig’s intriguing, untitled oil on canvas arrived today.

Doig’s paintings have been fetching over US$10 million at auction lately, making them the highest valued works of any living European painter.

We also have a massive print from ultra-photographer Edward Burtynsky. Charlie tells me it’s breathtaking, as much of his work is. And there are eight additional works to be auctioned by other top Canadian artists (see older posts below for their stories).

I (being Paul Fenn) will be among the fortunate few to see all the art at a special pre-event showing tomorrow night. I will post my reaction to that in this space shortly thereafter.

As well, I’ll be posting the program listing all the works, with photos, in the coming days.

Also at The Autists, Grammy-winning sensation Chaka Khan will sing jazz for Toronto, for autism, live! She’s flying in from California just for this show, and it promises to be a masterful display of her singing prowess. It’s rare for this R&B superstar to do jazz, so we’re taking it as a special honour.

Chaka will be accompanied by teenage piano prodigy Matt Savage (who has autism). Matt was already a legend at 15, playing with both Wynton and Branford Marsalis and many other great names in jazz. Search him out on YouTube and prepare to have your mind blown. You don’t have to love jazz to love him.

And we’re delighted to present the up-and-coming Toronto singer Samantha Mutis. She also has autism and, I’m told, has a voice so hot it’s melting the polar ice cap.

The concert starts at 8pm, following the live auction.

It’s going to be a huge night, so don’t waffle or you’ll be kicking yourself.