Online Art Auction Supports National MS Society

An online auction event supporting the National Multiple Sclerosis Society  is is running through Feb. 13 on Facebook.

Organized by The Dyeing Arts group, the fundraising auction features tie dye and handcraft art from several online communities.

The event arose from a partnership between Lighthouse Outdoor Products (LHO) and The Dyeing Arts Project, both founded by Howard Weinstein, a tie dye artist whose wife was diagnosed in 2018 with multiple sclerosis (MS).

In addition to the National MS Society, the REX Foundation will be supported by this initiative. The foundation is a non-profit organization created to support creativity in arts, sciences and education.

“Over the past several years, tie dye technique has advanced into quite an amazing art form,” Weinstein said in a press release. “Our event aims to highlight those amazing tie dye artists and their creations, while raising money for two very worthy causes.”

Weinstein founded LHO two years after his wife’s diagnosis. The idea came up during a festival concert when he realized they needed a lighted blanket to sit on.

“I launched LHO after seeing a need to create a lighted barrier for people that have trouble standing and dancing with the rest of the crowd at nighttime outdoor events,” he said. “Having to sit in a dark crowded sea of dancing people while people step over you and your belongings really takes the enjoyment out of an event.”

Self-sustaining solar outdoor products and a limited-edition of tie dye fleece blankets are other LHO’s products.

Weinstein’s original Fire Mandala Tapestry and other larger tapestries are among the products to be auctioned. Auction winners will be announced on the last day of the event, after registering the final bids.

Besides supporting fundraising activities, The Dyeing Arts Project was created to serve as a model for future art events and a documentary about tie dye.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, funded in 1946, is an organization that supports people with MS. Its goal is for MS patients to live their best lives by empowering them, ensuring comprehensive high-quality care, and supporting research. The society’s ultimate vision is a world free of MS.