Whether you fancy Freda, wish you were Warhol, or moon over Matisse, St. Paul’s Foundation’s upcoming Brilliant 2016 will paint a spectacular picture for partygoers and raise vital funds for St. Paul’s mental health and addiction programs. This year, Brilliant guests are invited “Into the Gallery” for a night of visual delights celebrating iconic artists touched by mental health and addiction.
St. Paul’s Foundation’s Brilliant, held this year on September 24th at the Rocky Mountaineer Train Station, is an evocative night of fashion, art and dance in support of mental health and addiction programs at St. Paul’s Hospital. It takes more than one brush stroke to create a masterpiece, and our amazing volunteers and donors help us paint St. Paul’s as not just the first stop, but the best stop on the journey to wellness.
The evening, emceed by Virgin Radio host Jonny Staub, features a live auction hosted by Howard Blank, and a dynamic runway extravaganza of fashion and dance, capped off by dancing to a set by GirlonWax DJ Crystal A’dare.
Bringing the vision to life are some of Vancouver’s top creative talent, led by producer Vladimir Markovich, co-founder of BC Fashion Week; stylist, Ghazal Elhaei and backstage production manager, Alex Grace, choreographers Carlo Atienza and Heather Dotto, lead make-up artist Meredith Lacosse and our master stylist on live exhibition pieces, Instagram star and mixed media artist Lyle Reimer (LyleXOX). Local designers lending their talent and wares include Action Denim by JC, Alex S Yu, Anna Talbot, Atelier Grandi, Earrings and Stuff, Evan Clayton, Hey Jude, Joseph Chanan, Laudae, Park and Fifth Co., Prusa, and Town Shoes.
The need for community support of Brilliant has never been greater. “St. Paul’s sees the highest volume of patients with mental health and substance use issues in Vancouver,” says Dr. Bill MacEwan, Head of Psychiatry, St. Paul’s. “In the last six years, St. Paul’s has seen a 112% increase in visits related to mental illness and addiction – more than 10,500 visits last year alone.”
Funds raised at Brilliant 2016 will support the Mental Health Hub, which will provide faster, more intensive care for some of our most vulnerable patients, and strengthen patient supports from hospital care to community care, as well as our world-leading addiction program at St. Paul’s, which is demonstrating provincial leadership through a range of initiatives including the current opioid overdose crisis.
“St. Paul’s Foundation is proud to host this annual event, and we’re grateful to our friends and supporters of Brilliant whose every effort, whether as a volunteer, sponsor or guest goes to support the incredibly important work underway at St. Paul’s to change the landscape for treating mental illness and addiction,” says Dick Vollet, President and CEO, St. Paul’s Foundation.
For tickets, or to donate online visit brilliant.helpstpauls.co
