Pictured: Second Heart Angel. Courtesy of Art Avenue.

Art Avenue is pleased to announce it will be hosting Hands Up for Homes! An Art Auction Benefitting Second Heart Homes, Inc. The live auction will take place Saturday, March 26, from 6pm to 9pm, at Art Avenue’s 1440 Main Street location in downtown Sarasota. Guests can park for free by the Selby Library or in Whole Food’s second-story ramp. The auction’s show piece is a stunning painting created and donated by local artist Vicki Chelf to support Second Heart Homes’ mission. The painting is a continuation of Chelf’s series, “Women of the Resistance,” which honors women who have contributed via secret spies to help the Resistance during WWII. The piece, titled “Second Heart Angel,” depicts Second Heart Homes founder Megan Howell as a local contemporary woman of resistance who is leading the charge to end homelessness in Sarasota. Guests will be able to bid on more than ten art pieces, including limited edition prints, and a piece created by one of their clients, while enjoying wine, hors d’oevres and live jazz by Ruffus. The event is free to the public. Supporters who are unable to attend the event can double their donations up to $500 through the Flanzer matching gift program at secondhearthomes.org. All proceeds go to Second Heart Homes, a local nonprofit that provides housing and high-touch supportive services to homeless men and women with mental health issues.

Pictured: Second Heart Angel. Courtesy of Art Avenue.