Blending Philanthropy, Culture and Art


Fundraising art auctions are a long-time staple for U.S. nonprofit organizations. Here’s a new twist:

Art Palm Beach, one of the most prestigious contemporary art fairs in the U.S., opens today and with it Global Art Group, the philanthropic initiative behind Global Advertising Strategies, will unveil David Datuna’s latest installment in the Viewpoint of Millions art project, titled ‘Viewpoint of Millions: Israel Beyond a Dream’. The artwork, consisting of an Israeli flag triptych assembled in Datuna’s distinctive fashion of cascading optical lenses, represents the past, present and future of Israel. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the artwork will benefit the Jewish Agency for Israel and the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County.

Prior to the opening, Datuna described his work this way to eJP, “The black and white flag symbolizes the past, including the Holocaust and Israel’s War of Independence, and features excerpts from such iconic works as Exodus by Leon Uris and Elie Weisel’s Night. The present day flag replicates the authentic colors and features photographic images of the Israeli life today. The white flag represents the open-ended future of the nation. The background images were deliberately left out, making it a canvas for each individual to project their own view of Israel tomorrow. The flag, as well as the name of the new series, is inspired by Theodor Herzl’s quote ‘If you will it, it is no dream.’”

Givi Topchishvili, the founder of Global Art Group, continued, “The notion of cross-cultural philanthropy and promoting unity through art is often positioned as a novel idea, although with the changing demographics, that is no longer a novelty but a necessity. Art is, perhaps, the only industry where one’s unique cultural perspective is welcomed, so sustaining that authenticity in creativity is our responsibility to future generations.”