Fundraiser hits home for Fall Brewing
Business' North Park brewery holding breast cast exhibition to help Keep A Breast
The Keep A Breast Foundation (KAB) brings its 2023 Breast Cast Exhibition home to San Diego for a nearly month-long artwork exhibition and virtual auction benefiting the organization. The exhibition’s opening night and virtual auction kicks off on Saturday, October 7 from 5 to 10 p.m. at Fall Brewing‘s North Park location. The San Diego collection will feature 20 individual breast sculptures that will be auctioned virtually throughout the month on Instagram via the account @brewbiesfest, a long-time benefactor of KAB.
The collection features the casts of three breast-cancer survivors, as well as local curators, artists, photographers, musicians, gallery owners and business owners.
The exhibition, in partnership with Brewbies, will be the latest in the more than 20 Breast Cast Exhibition shows KAB has hosted in years past in cities including Tokyo, Paris, New York City, Portland, Los Angeles, Haleiwa, Brisbane, Mexico City, São Paulo and Berlin. These events serve as a community activation by incorporating art that sparks conversation, a key part of KAB’s organizational focus. The exhibition’s opening night will feature KAB’s interactive breast cancer “education booth,” as well as a booth from Zero Cancer, a nonprofit organization providing prostate cancer education.
Fall Brewing will also debut a limited-edition pink lager dubbed Check Yourself after KAB’s popular call-to-action phrase. Survivors, artists and creatives will be in attendance and a food truck will also be available at the event.
Returning to San Diego and having the exhibition at Fall Brewing marks a special significance for San Diego-raised KAB Founder Shaney jo Darden.
“It all comes together with this exhibition,” says Darden. “I grew up in San Diego and I’ve been friends with Fall’s owner, Dave Lively, since our days at Mira Mesa High. Dave connected me with an employee, Angela, who had been diagnosed with breast cancer. I was happy he connected me with Angela ‘bepydoll’ Nguyen (pictured above), who, through our organization, we have been able to support through our art and grant programs.”
“Angela and Dave belong to the craft-beer world, a community that has been extremely kind and supportive toward KAB, and one that is full of amazing creatives. This collection celebrates all of this, and Angela, as the exhibition took shape around individuals who took time out of their lives to show her how much they love and support her, and to give back to a cause that touches us all.”
“I’ve loved the work Shaney jo has done with Keep A Breast,” says Lively. “As a cancer survivor myself, this exhibition hits close to home for me and I’m really proud to be hosting it at Fall Brewing for our community. It’s not everyday you walk into your neighborhood brewery and get to see beautiful art pieces that have so much meaning.”
The 20 sculptures will remain on the brewery’s walls throughout October for guests to view and participate in the virtual auction, facilitated for the first time ever on Instagram by virtual fundraising tech company Bidddy. The exhibition and auction will conclude with a closing party at Fall Brewing on November 4.
“The Keep A Breast casts represent fragility and strength,” says Darden. “These beautiful sculptures are a way for us all to connect with our own bodies and remember how strong we are. They show us that each and every body is beautiful and help start conversations about a serious, important topic.”
All funds raised will support KAB’s youth-focused advocacy and programming around prevention, including its free breast self-check mobile app (the Keep A Breast App), available in English, Spanish and French, as well as its Give Back Grant Program, which provides $500 grants to BIPOC women breast cancer survivors and warriors. The exhibition will also benefit KAB’s Check Yourself Program, an ongoing digital and print educational initiative. KAB’s goal is to raise $25,000 through the 2023 Breast Cast Exhibition.