See all 11 of them now at our sister site here.

Chaka Khan has just confirmed her attendance as headline act for The Autists.

Does this woman need an introduction?

To do so with any degree of originality is to commit to a serious regime of cliche avoidance. And since that cannot be done, we’ll embrace the cliches, own ‘em and get ‘em out of the way in one sentence: Chaka Khan is royalty, an enduring superstar, a wellspring of talent, is a force for the collective soul, a doer of good, a haver of fun and an eminent presence. Oh, and she has a wickedly powerful, sensual voice, too, which is handy when you make your living as a singer. Ok, so it took two sentences.

A visit to her website is a satisfying journey into her music and her soul.

Chaka Khan is a powerful presence in the generosity dept. Through her amazing Chaka Khan Foundation, she helps kids at risk in the South Central L.A. neighbourhood gain access to opportunities in education, and hence, a more promising future. Through a crafty mix of well-harnessed fellow celebrities, insightful mentors, college scholarships, specialized training programs in life skills as well as financial acumen, she’s helping a great many kids use their own brains and ambition to find their way out of poverty and the unsavory forces that accompany it.

And as the relative of someone with autism, Chaka Khan also supports programs that enable kids with autism reach their full potential, as well as aiding their families to offset the associated financial burdens.

We are so touched by this graceful nod to us that it has reignited the fire under us, the one that drives us to make this event so rich, so substantial and effectual, so packed with energy and life and celebration.

So, with maximum sincerity and alacrity, from all of us putting The Autists together and all of those who will benefit from your generosity — thank you, Ms Chaka Khan.

Great news — already — from our newly installed Art Curator, Mr Charles Pachter: He has sought and received pledges from five prominent artists to donate work to The Autists for the live auction portion of the event.

Here’s a little about each of them and a few peeks at their work.

Viktor Mitic, a native of Belgrade, Serbia, is a master of the stylized portrait and vivid, colour-saturated abstracts among his other techniques and approaches.

His work has shown in Japan, Serbia and his current base, Toronto, and hangs in the private collections of many well-known Canadians, from former Prime Ministers and ministers to sports celebrities.

Check out more of his work here.

Joanne Tod is a Toronto artist and lecturer whose vast array of superbly crafted work has been exhibited nationally and internationally over the past 20 years.

Joanne’s work spans portraiture as well as Pop Art-inspired social critique and examination. It is on display in the National Gallery of Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario and Montreal’s musee d’art contemporain, as well as private art collectors.

See more of her work here.

Kim Dorland is a Canadian-born artist whose work examines the psychic, nostalgic spaces of his Canadian upbringing.

His work regularly shows in galleries internationally and is part of collections at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Neumann Family Collection in New York and the Sander Collection in Berlin, as well as several corporate portfolios.

See much more of Kim’s work here.

Thrush Holmes is a talented artist based in Toronto. The OCAD alumnus has had work recently shown in galleries in Ottawa, California, Toronto, Ireland and many other cities and countries. Self-taught, he tackles notions of art, myth, introspection and biography via a great variety of mediums, and to great effect.

His work is also in Elton John’s private collection, and is regularly featured in influential publications.

See more of his art here.

Kent Monkman is an artist of Cree ancestry who works in a variety of media including paint, film/video, performance and installation. His approach swirls over, under and in between extreme in-your-face hellraising and witty social critique. One thing it’s not is dull.

He has exhibited widely within Canada and is well represented in numerous private and public collections such as the National Gallery of Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

See more of Kent’s work here (and don’t miss the Louis Vuitton quiver).

All in all an exceptional lineup for an art event. An unbelievable one for a fundraiser.

All of us at The Autists and the Geneva Centre for Autism would like to extend a gigantic welcome to all five of these incredible talents, and a profusion of thanks for their generosity.

Oh, and very nice work, Charles.

If you are in the media and wish to speak to us about The Autists, please contact Paul Fenn at 647-296-6006 or email paul[at]paulfenn.com