Raising Breast Cancer Awareness in Women of Color

Art Off The Main is proud to sponsor and host Paint it Pink, to raise awareness of Breast Cancer in women under 40, particularly women of color, on Thursday October 2, 2008, 6PM -10PM at the Metropolitan Pavilion North, 110 West 19th Street, New York.

“Paint it Pink”, in its 4th year, is a gala reception with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres served amid some of the finest works of art being produced by artists of African, Caribbean and Latin American Ancestry. Attendees will enjoy live entertainment and acquire art, while they mingle with art lovers, artists and curators and help raise funds for breast cancer awareness and advocacy.

According to the World Health Organization, more than 1.2 million people will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. While recent news on breast cancer diagnosis and treatment have been reassuring, two groups continue to be of concern: young women and African American Women. According to a recent M.D. Anderson study, race plays a significant part in survival rates. Although African-American women have a lower incidence rate of breast cancer than Caucasian women, they have a higher incidence among young women under the age of 50 and a higher mortality rate. In part, this disparity is a result of African-American women having less access to healthcare and screening, increased incidence of more aggressive cancers, differences in treatment options and their socioeconomic status.

Paint It Pink, an event created and produced by Art off the Main: The African, Caribbean & Latin American Art Fair brings together the art community and advocates to focus attention on the issue of breast cancer and women of color and to raise vital funds for Young Survival Coalition’s(YSC) Diversity Program. In 2005, recognizing the needs of underserved communities, YSC launched this program to help ensure that young women in all communities affected by breast cancer have access to the information and support they need.

Young Survival Coalition the only international, non-profit network of breast cancer survivors and supporters dedicated to the concerns and issues that are unique to young women and breast cancer. Admission to Paint It Pink is $100 and general admission to Art Off the Main is $15. For tickets or additional information, contact Crawford Billings Associates, Inc., P.O. Box 1659, New York, NY 10276; 646-438-9958 or visit artoffthemain.com