By Noah Patterson
Last month, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) now-annual art fundraiser was detailed in a note penned by FCA Global’s head of design, Ralph Gilles. In the note, Gilles commended his team of designers, discussed the charity, and explained the link between automotive design and art.
The charity — an internal FCA art sale featuring custom art created by members of the design team — began when personal art pieces from the FCA design team were posted on the walls of the Product Design Office. As the collection grew, other employees started to ask how they could get their own personalized pieces for their homes and offices.
This interest sparked an idea within the design team, who thought the opportunity was a perfect way to give back to the community. After selecting a charity — United Way for Southeastern Michigan — the first art sale began, with FCA employees commissioning custom art pieces from the design team.
The paintings “[consist] of original sketches and renderings that led to a final design of a vehicle; digital paintings of new and historical vehicles; and 3D representation of the FCA brands,” Gilles wrote.
To date, the design team has created 60 works of art for other FCA employees and have raised a cumulative $24,000 for United Way.
For the first time, this year’s sale will allow local dealers to also sell their pieces alongside the design team’s collection. All funds raised will benefit United Way’s College and Career Pathways, a charity that connects high schoolers with the resources necessary to pursue higher education or a career after graduating.
Although FCA’s art sale is not open to the public, its benefits are certainly felt by the community. To see images of the artwork created by FCA’s design team for the sale, be sure to check out the FCA North America Instagram.
The charity — an internal FCA art sale featuring custom art created by members of the design team — began when personal art pieces from the FCA design team were posted on the walls of the Product Design Office. As the collection grew, other employees started to ask how they could get their own personalized pieces for their homes and offices.
This interest sparked an idea within the design team, who thought the opportunity was a perfect way to give back to the community. After selecting a charity — United Way for Southeastern Michigan — the first art sale began, with FCA employees commissioning custom art pieces from the design team.
The paintings “[consist] of original sketches and renderings that led to a final design of a vehicle; digital paintings of new and historical vehicles; and 3D representation of the FCA brands,” Gilles wrote.
To date, the design team has created 60 works of art for other FCA employees and have raised a cumulative $24,000 for United Way.
For the first time, this year’s sale will allow local dealers to also sell their pieces alongside the design team’s collection. All funds raised will benefit United Way’s College and Career Pathways, a charity that connects high schoolers with the resources necessary to pursue higher education or a career after graduating.
Although FCA’s art sale is not open to the public, its benefits are certainly felt by the community. To see images of the artwork created by FCA’s design team for the sale, be sure to check out the FCA North America Instagram.