Food + Art + Charity

Thanksgiving's feast has passed. For many, however, the full table never was. You can change that and help set the table for the hungry in the coming months by participating in Zenith Community Arts Foundation's Food Glorious Food V: Dramatic Dining.

Founded nine years ago by Margery E. Goldberg, ZCAF is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(3) organization that seeks to foster alliances between artists, businesses, nonprofits, and public-sector organizations by using art as a societal tool to benefit community. Food Glorious Food, along with The Freedom Place Collection and eARThly.concerns, are three of ZCAF's most successful programs. Food Glorious Food has raised more than $100,000 for the food bank in four years.

Now in its fifth year, Food Glorious Food will hold its 2010 Calendar Launch Celebration on Thursday evening, December 3, 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m., at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company (641 D St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20004). Woolly is  ZCAF's new alliance partner and is well-known for its own commitment to promoting community values and the arts.

With emcee Andrea Roane, news anchor at WUSA 9, the evening celebration will include a silent auction of food-themed art in all media, with proceeds to benefit the Capital Area Food Bank, which celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2010. The CAFB is the largest public nonprofit and nutrition-education resource in the metropolitan Washington area, distributing 20 million pounds of food a year, including 6 million pounds of fresh produce to more than 700 partner agencies.

In addition, there will be Dramatic Dining tastings of food prepared from recipes donated by the Washington area's top restaurant chefs; a cooking demonstration using a recipe from Central Michel Richard; and complimentary 2010 Food Glorious Food calendars for guests.

Tickets for the December 3 benefit are $75 and may be purchased by telephoning the ZCAF at 202-783-8005 or e-mailing zenithcommunityarts@zcaf.org.

The artworks will be featured in a month-long exhibition (December 3, 2009 - January 3, 2010) at Woolly, daily from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and weekends, 12:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.  Participating artists are Bert Beirne, Leslie Exton, Cassandra Gillens, Brenda Gordon, Philip Hazard, Robert C. Jackson, Life Pieces to Masterpieces, Chris Malone, Joey Manlapaz, Donna McCullough, Bill Mead, Davis Morton, Stephen Hansen, Michela Mansuino, Ron Scwerin, Bradley Stevens, and James Tormey. To view images of the art and learn more about the artists, click here.

Calendars may be purchased for $20 at the launch party, the Capital Area Food Bank, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, and other yet-to-be-announced venues.

Donations are accepted online here.

Woolly Mammoth can be reached on Metro's Red Line (Gallery Place/Chinatown Station) or Green Line (Archives/Navy Memorial Station).