Creativity Explored is an organization that fosters the artistic talents of developmentally-disabled adults, not only to provide independence and self-sufficiency to the artists but also to give the general public access to their work. They've been around for over 20 years.

Creativity Explored is holding its annual benefit next Thursday, March 30, which features a silent auction of portraits of over 40 local celebrities made by their artists. That's Gavin Newsom up to your right, by the artist Theresa Perez. Other portraits up for auction include the evening's emcee, Kamala Harris; the Bad Reporter Don Asmussen, KRON's own Jan Wahl, and Heklina, among many others.

Harris is hosting, along with comedian Will Durst, and jazz singer Paula West will be chanteuse-ing for the evening. Food is being provided by a cavalcade of trendy eateries, including Blowfish, Joseph Schmidt, and Platanos, also among many others.

Tickets are $50, and you get access to some great art. You'll probably get some good local celebrity-watching in too! The auction takes place at 111 Minna (between Mission and Howard, off 2nd Street) and goes from 7-10 p.m.

The folks at Creativity Explored were nice enough to pass along some other pictures of the portraits on the block, which we've included after the jump.

Portrait of Gavin Newsom by Theresa Perez.

George Lucas, by Theresa Perez.

Amy Tan, by Nita Hicks.

Burning Man's Larry Harvey, by Peter Cordova.

There's also an excellent word-art portrait of Gavin Newson by John Patrick McKenzie, an excerpt of which appears below. Check out the full thing at the auction next Thursday!