Texas Musicians and Artists Come Together to Share and Celebrate the Lives of Vulnerable Immigrant Individuals and Families at the “3rd Annual Rock Your HeART Out Concert & Art Auction” on Oct. 27th
Local artists and immigrant survivors of violence team up to create art for the auction; proceeds benefit vulnerable immigrants served locally by Human Rights Initiative
Human Rights Initiative of North Texas (HRI) announces Bombasta, Texas Music Magazine’s 2013 Artist of the Year winner from San Antonio, will headline its third annual Rock Your HeART Out Concert and Art Auction (RYHO 2018), providing a Latin mix of salsa, bachata and hip-hop while attendees bid to own a one-of-a-kind works of art by local artists paired with past HRI clients. The event celebrates HRI’s immigrant individuals and families who have survived various human rights abuses, from torture to sexual assault.
HRI is also tremendously exited to announce Lisa Morales as the opening act.
Drawing from a creative palette informed by the rhythms, colors and flavors of the Southwest — from the painted-desert skies of her native Tucson, Arizona, where she grew up, to the sea-salted air of Houston, where she moved at 18, and the history-filled city of San Antonio, where she now lives — singer-songwriter Lisa Morales’s soulful exploration of weathered relationships will mesmerize you.
Here’s what Rolling Stones magazine says about Ms. Morales: https://buff.ly/2xLNQBK
The event is Saturday, October 27, 2018 at 8 p.m. at Life in Deep Ellum (2803 Taylor St, Dallas, TX, 75226.) Tickets prices vary from $20 to $50 and include open beer and wine bar. Tickets may be purchased at www.rockyourheartout.org.
This year, eleven teams of local artists and former HRI clients will pair up to create unique pieces for the silent auction, each of which will shed light on the immigrant journey to freedom. Last year, photographer Treena Muir, wowed the audience with a trio of photographs based on the journey of HRI client, Daniela. Luz Pictura, a film production company, captured the creation of the artwork in this mini-documentary.
Artists for RYHO2018 were selected through an intensive application process that was over-seen by HRI’s Artistic Advisory Board, which is made up of Board Members, Local Artists, Philanthropists and Community Leaders. This year’s artists include: Can Turkyilmaz, Manal Fashi, Tierra Firme: Analise Minjarez & Sarita Westrup, Jordan Fraker, Jessi Cole, Gwen Meharg, Laura Tamayo, Denise Lion, Yva Barbour, Jimmie Hudson, and Daniel Avazpour.
“I am incredibly moved by and learn from our clients every day. Seeing the unimaginable hardships they endure and the mountains they climb is remarkable and inspiring,” says Bill Holston, HRI Executive Director. “During this time fraught with separation and divide, our hope is that Rock Your HeART Out brings us closer together through music, art, and humanity.”
All proceeds from the 2018 Rock Your HeART Out Concert & Art Auction will be used toward vital legal and social services for immigrants in the North Texas area. Because of HRI’s unique pro bono model, every dollar coming into the agency is multiplied by nearly five (5) times through the service donations of our volunteer attorneys. In 2017, volunteers donated over $4.2 Million in legal services to HRI clients.
RYHO 2018 is sponsored by Carol and Don Glendenning / Locke Lord, AT&T, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer LLP, Thompson and Knight Foundation, Hunton & Williams, Petrotel, Inc., Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton. McGlinchey Stafford, Holland & Knight LLP, Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP.
About Human Rights Initiative of North Texas
Human Rights Initiative of North Texas is a local nonprofit organization serving Dallas’ most vulnerable population: immigrants and asylum seekers. Founded in 2001, HRI provides free legal and social services to immigrants and asylum seekers in Dallas-Fort Worth who have been tortured and abused and are living below the poverty line. Along with a network of more than 600 pro bono attorneys and HRI Ambassadors, HRI has seen hundreds of defenseless immigrants through to safety and security within the U.S. borders. Many of our clients have become successful business owners, teachers, nurses, and independent contributing members of the community. For more information about the event, visit or follow us at www.rockyourheartout.org, www.facebook.com/RYHODallas/, or www.instagram.com/ryhodallas/. For more information about HRI, visit or follow us at www.hrionline.org, www.facebook.com/HRIOnline, www.instagram.com/humanrightsinitiative.
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NOTE TO MEDIA MEMBERS: You may download captioned high-res images from last year’s event including art works here: www.facebook.com/RYHODallas.
