New York, NY ( October 14, 2005) – Whether your favorite was “Roy Rogers” or “Lassie,” “Laugh-In,” or “Mr. T,” peanut butter and bologna sandwiches never had it so good! From the late 19 th century Pennsylvania coal miners to the “disco fever” of the late 1970’s, the lunchbox took Americans to lunch…until the last metal box closed its lid in 1985. Now, 100+ celebrities from the entertainment, fashion, art, music, literary and culinary worlds, remind us that food matters, by creating lunchbox art to be offered for online auction to benefit two hunger-relief organizations – The Food Bank For New York City and The Lunchbox Fund. The online auction will launch the following evening, Friday, October 14 th, 2005, beginning at 9:00 p.m. EST, at thelunchboxauction.org.
Among the 100+ contributing artists who hope their designs will take a bite out of hunger, are: Bono, EDGE, Michael Stipe, Mario Batali, President Bill Clinton, Francesco Clemente, Emeril Lagasse, Clint Eastwood, Spike Lee, David Bowie and Iman, Hilary Swank, Cameron Crowe, Q-Tip, James Earl Jones, Halle Berry, Brad Pitt, Mike Myers, John Waters, Angelina Jolie, Jeff Bridges, Jake Gyllenhaal, Charlize Theron, Joaquin Phoenix, Helena Christensen, Liv Tyler, Peter Sarsgaard, Naomi Campbell, Malcolm Gladwell, Sean Combs, Jimmy Fallon, Kenny Scharf, Chuck D. James Frey, Mick Rock, Anton Corbjin, and Joy Behar. Each collectible lunchbox is signed by the artist and numbered .
Each lunchbox is reflective of the artists’ personal expression and no two lunchboxes are alike. Whether you are an art lover who is looking for a wonderful new collectible, or simply a dedicated fan of the artist – you’ll find this to be a diverse and extraordinary collection. Two-time Academy-Award winner Hilary Swank has produced another winner – a stunning lunchbox adorned with semi-precious jewels and beads; Cameron Crowe tells a short story of lunchbox memories; Mike Myers has created an original fridge magnet poem; John Waters’ tribute to his Tony-Award winning ‘Hairspray” will astound and amaze; while David Bowie and Iman painted their lunchbox with an assist from their five-year-old daughter, Alexi.
Lunchboxes will be offered for auction in lots of ten at a time. There will be no minimum bid. Each group of ten lunchboxes will be available for auction for a period of ten days, at which time the highest bidder will be announced. The auction is expected to run through December. The online auction is being managed by AuctionCause.
Three different sized lunchboxes in two different materials were available to the artists. Most preferred lunchboxes fabricated out of metal with a silver finish and black handle, reminiscent in style of the original Hopalong Cassidy prototype that was produced in 1950. These lunchboxes measure 8” x 6.75” x 3.75.” Other artists chose the more updated look of the orange corrugated vinyl lunchbox with yellow handle and trimmed with yellow stitching. These lunchboxes measure 10” x 7” x 3” and 12” x 8” x 4.” However, some artist chose not to be confined by the form and shape of the traditional lunchbox. Instead, they created their own interpretations. Acclaimed artist Matt Nolen created a lunchbox work of art in ceramic; Some Odd Rubies reworked vintage clothing to create a vintage lunchbox; and designers Kate Spade, Cynthia Rowley, and Rogan each used their creative talents to create unique, stylish versions of a child’s lunchbox.
Hunger is a global problem. From New York City to Soweto, South Africa, the children of the world are the ones most severely affected. In New York City, an estimated two million people are at risk of hunger and one in four turning to soup kitchens and food pantries is a child. In South Africa, a country that is rich and prosperous, is also a country in which an estimated eighteen million people live without adequate food, water or sanitation. Children are often forced to make a decision to learn or to eat.
“Among the often seen images of poverty and hunger, there is also great hope,” says Dr. Lucy Cabrera, President and CEO of the Food Bank For New York City. “While the lunchbox campaign highlights the burgeoning issue of childhood hunger, it has brought together people from very different backgrounds, from different communities, and from different cultures. It is not their differences that we notice. It is their unselfish commitment to a common goal – feeding our children and ending hunger.”
“Service to others whose needs are greater than our own is a fundamental principle of human existence," says Topaz Page-Green, Founder of The Lunchbox Fund. "The children of South Africa move me profoundly. While these children are materially impoverished, spiritually they embody a joy that is impossible to define or encapsulate. The Lunchbox Fund is a response to that joy. We hope that our work on their behalf will help to alleviate their immediate suffering and perpetuating a better future.”
Lunchboxes are part of childhood. For many people, they are full of memories boxed in metal and plastic. LOG ON AND BID. Create new memories. End hunger! October 14 th, 2005, at 9:00 p.m. EST, LOG ON AND BID at www.thelunchboxauction.org.
At least two million New York City residents are at risk of going hungry. The majority of them are women with children, the elderly, the disabled and the working poor. Food Bank For New York City, the city’s primary supplier of food for the hungry, helps provide the food for over 240,000 free meals served each day by more than 1,200 nonprofit community food programs in the five boroughs. Last year, the Food Bank distributed more than 67 million pounds of food and was recognized as Food Bank of the Year by America’s Second Harvest, The Nation’s Food Bank Network. For more information, visit our website at
www.foodbanknyc.org.
The Lunchbox Fund, founded in 2004, is a non-profit organization that provides lunch to school children throughout South Africa who would otherwise go without sustenance for indefinite periods of time. Often, it is their only meal of the day.Many of these children are AIDS orphans who are running child-headed households, and who cannot afford to pay their basic school fees of $15 per year, Through The Lunchbox Fund, these children are provided with the food they need to sustain themselves, while hopefully moving forward to achieve their goals. It takes just twenty-five cents to fill a child’s lunchbox for a day. For more information, visit our website at www.thelunchboxfund.org.
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