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Special George Floyd Tribute Auction to Benefit His Third Ward Neighborhood’s Iconic Art Space

Giving Back in Memory of a Life Cut Tragically Short

BY // 07.30.20

George Floyd was one of the countless Black Americans who have lost their lives due to racial discrimination and police brutality. But the senseless murder of the Houston Third Ward native, former high school athlete and member of DJ Screw’s Screwed Up Click, triggered worldwide protests and brought needed attention to Black Lives Matter.

Now Houston artist Russian Cream Art has created a work titled George Floyd Tribute in memory of Floyd. The 18 x 24 inch acrylic painting, crafted in an airbrush technique, bears the likeness of Floyd speaking his last words, “I can’t breathe.”

A five-day virtual auction went live Thursday and runs through this Monday, August 3, at 11:59 pm, hosted by the multidisciplinary creative studio and collective Peach World. The proceeds will go to an important art space.

Peach World helps Houston artists bridge connections and expand their platform. The studio takes great pride in recognizing artists’ backgrounds and identities. Their genre-blending productions to date have featured up-and-coming Texans such as Taylor Gang’s own Young Deji, Russian Cream Art and Natalia Victoria.

Peach World recently posted a mini-documentary of live, raw footage from several protests calling for justice after Floyd’s death. In May, some Houstonians who were peacefully protesting were arrested. The video shows the disconnect between some of the media coverage and reality.

Another recent episode introduces emerging artists BBY KODIE and Marion DuBose’s collaborative performance. This show-stopping live musical performance is a two-part video that honors George Floyd. The idea of auctioning off a portrait of Floyd to benefit a nonprofit within the Third Ward fits Peach World’s mission.

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Peach World and the artist will donate all proceeds from the bold and poignant painting to Houston’s internationally recognized art space Project Row Houses, in the heart of the Third Ward where Floyd grew up, in his name.

Project Row Houses, a shining example of social sculpture, is a rare meld of art and community. With its Young Mothers Residential Program, signature art installations within historic shotgun houses and programming that addresses neighborhood needs and saves blocks of the Third Ward from gentrification, this is an art space that truly makes a difference.

“We decided to do the auction to give back to not only the Houston community, but [specifically] the art community,” Peach World founder Wilson Dunn says. “I think COVID-19 has most negatively impacted the art community in Houston.”

For Dunn it’s personal, “The art world has been the foundation of my creativity and artistic expression,” the founder says. “Growing up, I got to experience all of Houston’s art exhibits, paintings and murals around town. Peach World wants to donate the proceeds from the auction to Project Row Houses because of its initiative of providing housing to people living in the Third Ward and PRH’s amazing art (program).

“I commissioned Russian Cream Art because she is a very good painter and one of my dear friends. She did a great job in the first episode created by Peach World where we featured different genres of art that would not normally blend well together. Russian Cream Art’s George Floyd Tribute is a constant reminder of what is going on in the world right now with police brutality.”

You can bid on the George Floyd Tribute painting benefitting Project Row Houses, here, from now through Monday, August 3, at 11:59 pm.

Additional reporting on this story came from Catherine D. Anspon 

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