It’s official and has been for some weeks, but I didn’t get around to posting it till now. (Apologies, if you come here often looking for tasty updates. I am quite busy, have a business to run which been hectic lately, so my posts have not been so frequent.)

The great news is many-fold:

• The Autists is to be once again, at Koerner Hall on Tuesday, May 17, 2011
• We have many new and influential people and companies involved with the Autists in various capacities. More on that in future posts
• We have listened to your comments and suggestions from last year and are changing the format of the event substantially to be even more appealing to all
• The Autists will have more top artists from Canada and overseas
• We are combining the concert component together with the Gala Reception so you can listen to great live music while viewing the art for auction
• We are will feature substantially more auctionable works and living, on-site examples of art, music and other forms of creative mastery from people with autism of all ages and from all points along the autism spectrum

I make efforts to post more frequently now, as things fall into place for all of us on The Autists’ Gala Organizing Committee.

Paul Fenn

The final tally of funds raised for the Geneva Centre through The Autists on May 2, 2010, after every cent of expenses, is just over $177,000.

The Autists will rise again in spring 2011 — precise date still pending

Yes, we are amazed. Yes, the Geneva Centre will be able to do a great deal more good for those with autism who need a hand with socialization into the world out there. And yes, darn right we’re doing this again next year.

Where the money goes

The programs that receive this money cover many aspects of getting oneself productively into society — from the basic life skills of communicating, socializing and interacting to helping children and youth with autism spectrum make friends, participate more completely in school and learning skills that help them tap the job market and launch a career.

Another round of thanks

And all of you who volunteered, attended the event, played and performed at the event, donated cash, services and materials to transform The Autists from an uncut diamond into a gleaming, spanking, vivid reality — you are to be congratulated, thanked and lauded publicly. Let it be known that all of us on the Gala Steering Committee as well as the management, staff and volunteers at the Geneva Centre for Autism are doing our best to see that that happens.

Avoid disappointment — visit here often

Keep coming back here to the official insider blog of The Autists. I will keep you posted on all the news, gossip, breakthroughs and other listable things (I seem to like listing) that come along, as they come along.

Cheers for now,

Paul Fenn

Uncle Charlie Creative Inc.

Since May 2, the day of The Autists, I’ve not had a moment’s rest. Pitching new clients, launching a new business and keeping up with demand from existing clients. So a quick postmort.

In sum, a massive success. We sold off virtually everything on auction, both the live and silent versions, at generally strong prices. We had three exceptional musicians — Chaka Khan, Matt Savage and Samantha Mutis — perform for us at what several conductors and musicians have already ranked among the finest concert venues in North America, Koerner Hall. And we raised a considerable sum for Geneva Centre for Autism, the exact amount I do not yet know.

I have big plans for The Autists in future, which I’ll share as they inch toward fruition.

Vast thanks to all those who worked with me, donated product, time and sweat to help our event rock the world. In no particular order they are:

Charles Pachter, for curating like the true master he is, and bringing in all those talents whose work gave our event much added oomph

Albert Schultz, for selling the goods, making us laugh and making it look far too easy

Peter Doig, for donating a fine and valuable work that helped our cause immeasurably

Stan Morantz, for saying yes to all our printing needs faster than it took him to read the list of them

Wallace Edwards, for donating a fabulous work (two actually — long story) without hesitation

Curt Detweiler, for hooking us up from San Fran with a top ad creative team in Toronto to do the outdoor and print campaigns

Jon Freir & Chunky, for producing those ads quickly and tastefully

David Shephard, Dali and Cornelius, for the blog design, ad tweaks and other last-minute favours

Fidel Pena & Claire Dawson, for designing The Autists logo and invitations that set a high and early mark and made a mere idea shine a few million candlepower brighter than it would’ve in lesser hands

Chaka, Matt & Sam, for singing, playing and giving all and remaining at the top of your respective games throughout

John Alcorn, for organizing the music, bringing such consummate pros to back up Chaka, to the extent that she took the time to write and thank us for making the experience unusually rich for her

Hindy Abelson, for believing, acting on it, tapping her people, and watching my back

Holly Bannerman, for watching Hindy’s back, and being a calming presence throughout many typhoons of uncertainty

Katie Wilson, for feeding me much useful info and enabling me to experience more personal organization than I’ve ever known, or may ever know again

Boss Marg Whelan, for saying yea not nay to a loony fundraising event, then being such a class act while attending it

The Koerner Hall-ers, for your professionalism, understanding and endless assistance

The staff at Geneva Centre, for doing what you do and making an absolute difference to the lives of people who really need a difference made

Paul Fenn

Uncle Charlie Creative Inc.

On all counts — funds raised, art auctioned, Autists well served, music played, music heard, venue utterly appreciated, food devoured, booze knocked back, hearts lifted, people helped — The Autists was a smash-bang success.

The Gourmet Reception (aka the eating and champagne bit) was brilliant, everyone nicely ravenous for the irresistible catered morsels cooked up by the masters at Daniel et Daniel. By 6pm, Koerner Hall’s glassed-in lobby was chock-a-block with well-dressed, well-intentioned Torontonians and out-of-towners, all about to be entertained, if we were getting our way, to the outer limits of possibility.

Marg Whelan, Director at Geneva Centre for Autism, made a perfect welcome speech — by turns moving, cheeky and short. On her heels came 19-year-old singer Samantha Mutis, who shared with us how she’d once been a reserved young girl with autism, picked on by lesser minds and made miserable by it all. To see her now, you’d never suspect — she absolutely outclasses all imaginable nemeses. She sang her beautiful, sweet heart out with a fine piano accompaniment. When you meet Sam in the flesh, you’re instantly a fan, you want to witness her career in ascension — a feeling that cannot be helped. To her, there’s an intelligence and grace seldom encountered in your typical 19-year-old.

With Charlie Pachter intro-ing the works and Albert Schultz selling them in his fearless, witticism-flecked manner, this was about the best excitement to be found anywhere in the city that night. Drama, tension and a touch of potential heartbreak — because you’re willing each artist’s work to fetch a solid, flattering price, which alas can’t always happen… but we were pleased at the results. (More on them in upcoming days and weeks.)

Next up, Matt Savage playing insanely tricky jazz numbers on the grand piano like he was walking his dog. And I don’t mean a few cool licks. I’m talking Miles Davis played with a style and an ease that was simply too sophisticated for any kid of just 17 (I believe he’s 18 at this time) to possess. After a few numbers, Matt was joined by Samantha who sang once again in pitch-perfection.

The two of them personified the whole point of the event: That those with autism can achieve the most unlikely heights, given the encouragement, education, patience and love that they need.

By this time I was veering nicely into champagne country, and feeling so proud of what all our people had put together that I could barely concentrate on what was going on in front of me. We took another lobby refreshment break while Chaka Khan & the band got set up.

And Chaka was masterful. Brave, reaching up and taking wild risks, but never stumbling. Her band, all locals, were as tight as a new pair of socks, and Chaka gave them ample moments to shine their own lights with wickedly fine solos. Consummate pros, all.

Five short hours after it began, it was done. Few people departed in the interim, meaning, I’ll venture, that they were having a great time while underwriting this great cause. The trick to holding everyone so rapt seemed to be variety and economy; not too much of anything along with plenty or everything — to keep imaginations fully engaged right to the last.

The amount raised is still being calculated. But whatever it comes to in the end, it will go in aid of Geneva Centre for Autism programs that help those living with autism spectrum disorders.

In coming posts I’ll add pictures, thank our sponsors, artists and volunteers, and everyone else I can think of, who helped this event rock our city.

But for now, collectively, Thank You to all involved.

Paul Fenn

Uncle Charlie Creative Inc.

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

Great news for those who’ll be out of town during the event but want to bid on any of the 11 works at our Live Auction:

Phone bidding!

To register, please email Ms Hindy Abelson at habelson@autism.net or call 416.322.7877 ext. 307. Fee is $100. Once registered, you’ll be given a number to call to participate in the auction.

The Autists Live Auction starts Sun Day May at 6:15 EDT.

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.

Confirmed yesterday morning via email from Hungary, Albert Schultz, founding artistic director of Soulpepper Theatre Company, stage and television actor, master of the spoken word, all around man’s (and woman’s) man, will walk the planks at Koerner Hall as auctioneer for the The Autists Gala live art auction.

Experts agree, we couldn’t have found a better candidate for the job. Albert has done many auctions before and is widely viewed as one of Toronto’s great wits. A native of Port Hope, Ontario, Albert has worked for years getting onto stage, and acting in, some of the most creative and cutting edge theatre ever seen in the nation.

It’s fair to say that Albert is live theatre in these parts, playing roles ranging from Hamlet to Chief Executive Fundraiser, and most everything in between. He even played Conrad Black in a major Canadian TV biopic on the now-incarcerated business titan — not a role just any old actor could wear well.

One space left to fill; and, of course, sponsorship

Albert’s joining us means The Autists now has but one key Gala Night position remaining: That of Master of Ceremonies. No contenders’ names ought be mentioned just yet, but we hope to bring you news of this soon.

With just 3.5 months to lift-off, we are now into the sponsorship drive phase of the event, and in earnest. We’re looking for corporate and individual sponsors able to fund various portions of our event in amounts ranging from $5k to $50k, though we promise not to scoff at offers exceeding the latter amount. If you inhabit such a corporate or institutional entity, or are a generous person of means, we invite you get in touch with The Autists’ fundraising chief, Hindy Abelson at habelson (at) autism.net.

As for Albert, from the depths of our well-peppered souls, we organizers thank you, sir, for stepping forth as you have. We can’t wait to see you do what you do best — speak really quickly on stage with minimal syllabic entanglement.

Behold our Save This Date thingy, which brings you up to speed on The Autists at a glance:

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.

The Autists has just received a commitment from Toronto’s Wills & Co. Media Strategies to help us gain access to donated media, both on- and off-line.

Company president Jeff Wills has generously offered to plug us into his world, which consists of a substantial cross-section of local and nationwide print, TV, radio, outdoor and online media proprietors.

Jeff’s generous stand will aid us in publicizing The Autists to a significantly wider, and more relevant audience than we could ever have reached under our own steam.

Actual fruits of this pledge will be revealed in future posts, but what can be said about it now is: Thanks, Jeff Wills. You are a gentleman and a benevolent soul.

Wills & Co are a highly imaginative group of people who approach media the way Michelangelo approached ceilings.

Among their ingenious inventions is Do Over Day. Taking place each February 26, Do Over Day is the time to do over the good and bad of our lives. It’s a day to reflect, celebrate and relive the glory, wonderment and shame of our many fateful deeds and decisions.

More on this auspicious soon-to-be-holiday is available here.

Wills & Co. also runs an interesting blog (screen-grab above), packed with merciless insights on media, old and new, which can be viewed here.