On Saturday, April 16, Niles North will be hosting their annual Empty Walls silent art auction in the Student Commons.

“All types of artwork will be auctioned off,” Lori Real, art teacher, said. “This includes painting, photography, drawing, printmaking, watercolor, jewelry, and more.”

In addition to offering displays of art, the event is also an opportunity for artists to practice their craft.

“The artists get to spend all day making art, then it’s auctioned off to bidders,” Amy Zwikel, art teacher, said.

The auction will feature art pieces created by current art students, Niles North alumni, and artists in the surrounding community. Proceeds from the auction will benefit Dance Marathon and it’s charity of the year, the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, a non-profit organization that helps decrease (and hopefully eliminate) homelessness in the Chicago area.

Donations to the Coalition will help provide housing, as well as improve services such as public schools, job access, and job training for the homeless people in Chicago, according to Dance Marathon’s website.

For more information about empty walls, visit http://www.niles219.org/north/departments/fine-arts/empty-walls-community.

Photo by Samantha McNelis