Park West artists aboard Ruby Princess raise $12,000 for seafarers
The Ruby Princess. Photo courtesy of princess.com.
While aboard the Ruby Princess, Park West artists and auctioneers raised their brushes to help raise funds for seafarers and their families.
Princess Cruises joined the International Maritime Organization in taking part in celebrating the fifth annual Day of the Seafarer. The campaign brings awareness to and thanks the 1.5 million maritime workers around the world. The day is observed every June 25.
Princess Cruises raises money for charity through the auction of nautical charts, which are collector’s items that detail the routes of the cruise ship’s voyage. Throughout July, the proceeds from these auctions were collected on behalf of seafarers. Additionally, the Princess Cruises Community Foundation matched the proceeds up to $10,000. All proceeds will be donated to seafarer organizations that assist seafarers.
Park West artists Alfred Gockel, Michael Godard and Marko Mavrovich were traveling aboard the Ruby Princess July 5-12 as part of an Art Connoisseur Cruise showcasing contemporary artists and lecturers. Word about this special day reached the ears of VIP Art Director Jordan Sitter, inspiring his art team and the artists to spring into action.
“Princess has been such a great partner with Park West Gallery and our VIP Connoisseurs cruises, so when I heard about the auction to raise money for the seafarers fund I wanted to help out,” Sitter says.
Sitter requested a second print out of the nautical chart, one for a regular auction and one for the VIP auction. The three artists then created small works of original art on the maps. Thanks to these embellishments, the charts sold for more than $6,000 each, all of which will go toward seafarer organizations.
“The artists and I were all very excited to find out this was the highest amount raised in this fantastic fundraiser’s history,” Sitter says. “Myself, our artists and our collectors were all happy to participate in this fundraising auction.”
Along with its fundraising efforts, Princess Cruises is donating a cruise to the Seattle branch of Mission to Seafarers and will host the branch’s annual luncheon aboard the Crown Princess on August 22 in the Port of Seattle.
