THANK YOU ARTISTS, SPONSORS, SUCCESSFUL BIDDERS, COMMUNITY PARTNERS, DISPLAY LOCATIONS, VOLUNTEERS, SUPPORTERS & FRIENDS!

Kelly for Kids, Hunter’s Hope and WNED would like to thank the Western New York community and beyond for supporting Guitars for Hope, a public art project benefiting all three organizations.  This special public art project and fundraiser concluded with great success!  Thank you to all of our local and regional artists, celebrity artists, sponsors, bidders, buyers, community partners and volunteers!

The Guitars for Hope project was announced and launched in June, 2005 during the 5th annual WNED Buffalo Niagara Guitar Festival.  Sixty two six-foot tall fiberglass acoustic guitar molds were transformed into magnificent works of art by area artists and national celebrities.  Regional artists submitted designs to the art project in the winter of 2005 and an Art Selection Committee, comprised of community leaders from all walks of life, selected the designs.  The response to the “Call for Artists” was overwhelming and helped kick off the project with both excitement and enthusiasm.  Celebrity artists such as rock band Bon Jovi, country music singer Lee Ann Womack, Buffalo’s own “Meet the Press” moderator Tim Russert and Goo Goo Doll Robby Takac are just a sampling of the celebrities who lent their time and talent that helped round out the program. 

The Guitars for Hope hit the streets of Western New York and even went into Canada in early April, 2006 and were on display throughout April, May and June, 2006. Locations of display included Shea’s Performing Arts Center, Seneca Niagara Casino, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo Museum of Science, Buffalo Niagara Airport, Historical Society, Peace Bridge Duty Free and more! 

A free public art show featuring all sixty two guitars took place at the WNED studios July 1-12, 2006 and hundreds of people took the opportunity to come down and see all of the guitars together before they would head out to their successful high bidders and sponsors who purchased them. 

Our grand Gala Auction was held on Friday, July 14, 2006 where our artists met the sponsors and bidders who purchased their guitars and the live auction’s bidding was fast and furious. 

The project culminated with a final opportunity to bid on Guitars for Hope online.  At the end of business on July 19, the Guitars for Hope were sold off – and ready to go their new homes.

Guitars for Hope, designed to celebrate music, art and hope in Western New York, was modeled after national and international community art projects such as Buffalo’s highly successful Herd About Buffalo project and Cleveland’s Guitarmania.

NFL Hall of Famer and former quarterback of the Buffalo Bills Jim Kelly served as the honorary chair of the project. “I’m excited because this community-based program brings together so many things that I enjoy: music, art and raising money for local Western New York charities”, said Kelly. 

C.F. Martin & Co. designed the six-foot fiberglass acoustic guitar mold, fashioned after their Martin D-28 guitar. Models were constructed by Merlinworks of Etobicoke, Ontario.

All monies raised through the sponsorship and auction of the guitars benefit:

The Kelly for Kids Foundation - committed to providing funding and support to children's charities throughout Western New York. These charities operate for the benefit of disadvantaged and handicapped youths and focus on children's needs and issues.                   

The Hunter’s Hope Foundation - dedicated to increasing public awareness of Krabbe Leukodystrophy, and to helping support research, new therapies and a cure for the inherited, fatal nervous system disease that affected Hunter Kelly, son of Jim and Jill Kelly who passed away in 2005.

WNED – member-supported public radio and television stations serving Western New York and Southern Ontario whose mission is to provide and produce high quality programming and services that enlighten, inspire, entertain and educate our communities. 

Thank you for joining us as the melody of music and the poetry of art were wed through Guitars for Hope, a project benefiting three organizations with a profound impact on the Western New York community.