The Bag Lunch is an annual spring fundraiser hosted by celebrity stylists and P.S. ARTS board members Elizabeth Stewart and George Kotsiopoulos. Designer handbags are auctioned off at discounted prices and 100% of the proceeds go to P.S. ARTS’ arts education programs. This year, the event was held at the lovely home of Meredith Kaplan and raised more than $150,000. Elizabeth and George were kind enough to share their thoughts on the event and why arts education matters to them.
How did you two become involved in P.S. ARTS?
Elizabeth: The fashion world and art world are very intertwined. Doing what we do for a living, we know how important an arts education is for children, especially to break out of the cycle of poverty. I got involved with P.S. ARTS because they bring arts education to children in Los Angeles’ low-income communities who would not have access to it otherwise.
George: I heard about P.S. ARTS from Elizabeth [Stewart], whom I was working with at the time at New York Times Magazine. The arts have always been very important to me and I wanted to get involved in an organization that provides access to the arts – P.S. ARTS was a great fit for me in that regard.
How did the idea of Bag Lunch come about?
George: Elizabeth and I were having lunch with a luxury brand and talk of effective ways to raise money for charities came up during conversation. We discussed how purses and bags would be such a great way to raise money because everyone loves a great bag and is always willing to pay for one. We knew we’d be able to get some bags donated, so then we thought, ‘Why not get some bags, sell them at discounted prices, and raise some money for P.S. ARTS?’ It seemed like such a simple, doable idea.
Elizabeth: We wanted a win-win situation for everyone. Asking each designer for one bag a year is not so much, but it really adds up at the event! And we knew the fashion world loves to support arts for children.
What does it mean to have raised so much money for arts education through this event over the past 10 years (more than $1.1 million!)?
Elizabeth: It’s really important to us to help in any way we can! It means a lot that we figured out a way to keep helping. To broaden the world of even one child is a great thing!
George: I feel so fortunate that this event has helped provide arts education for so many students. In art class, children can’t do wrong and they are free to be who they want to be. It opens their minds to a world of possibilities. It’s not only a school’s responsibility to help children learn and grow, it is a responsibility of parents as well as the community to make sure all of our children have access to the resources they need to be well-rounded citizens. I feel lucky to be a part of that.
A huge thank you to Elizabeth and George for hosting another wonderful Bag Lunch event and to all those involved! Check out pictures from this fun-filled afternoon in our 10th Annual Bag Lunch 2013 Facebook album as well as the Bag Lunch Press on the P.S. ARTS Press page. To learn more about attending next year’s event, check out our Friends of P.S. ARTS membership program.
