Picasso supports Picasso!

Steve and Barbara Gold, Center City residents, activists and PCCY donors, like to make “impact” donations and generally give where others do not – to support advocacy. They understand that changing public policy changes kids’ lives for the better. Barbara, a pediatrician and Steve, the foremost attorney in the disability rights movement have been donating to PCCY since the early 90’s when, they say, they couldn’t give very much. But give they did, establishing a reputation of promoting change through their charity.

Fast forward to last summer when Barbara decided to finally clean out some of the books and inherited items they had collected over 53 years in their Mt Vernon Street home. Her father and grandfather had been book collectors and somehow, over the years, her father had picked up 6 rare lithographs which sat, untouched, on the Gold’s overflowing bookcases. While cleaning out, Barbara and Steve discovered that these line drawings were actually created and signed by Pablo Picasso!

Steve immediately thought to donate the proceeds from the sale of these lithographs to bring the arts to more Philly schoolchildren: Picasso supports Picasso!!

“As a child growing up in Manhattan, I remember what the art program at my school meant to me” says Barbara. “It got me to go to school and enjoy learning. That is what we want for our city’s kids.” Tim Gibbon, director of the Picasso Project, was thrilled with the nearly $20,000 donation. “The Golds’ gift will make a great impact on the program this year as it allows us to fund even more worthy projects”.

Not everyone has the good fortune of a financial windfall like this one and fewer still would think of passing it along to help students. Who knows what art students will create, or how many children will find inspiration, thanks to the Gold’s generosity.

[This article first appeared in the Fall/Winter 2019 edition of PCCY’s Childwatch, our semi-annual newsletter. Read the whole issue HERE!]