I had never attended any of the New York Art Week events before this year–not the Armory Arts show, which features works from modern artists like Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, and Andy Warhol alongside new (and often experimental) work from emerging artists, and certainly not any of the smaller art fairs that pop up around the city during the same time. But last weekend, I decided to raise my culture quotient and go see some art. Though I was impressed with the Armory Show, I also found the cavernous setting of Piers 92 and 94 a bit overwhelming.

Back down in Soho, however, I dropped in to check out the Red Dot Art Fair, a less daunting and more accessible collection of galleries presenting their work. Near the back of the event space, the North Carolina–based gallery Art Charlotte showcased pieces from Anne H. Nielson (whose paintings are shown above and below) and Robert Langford. Not only are both artists extremely talented, using uplifting colors and broad strokes to happy effect, they're also philanthropically minded. A portion of the artists' proceeds from the exhibition will benefit the Lift Up Foundation, which provides support to families coping with pediatric cancer, and the Allegro Foundation, which provides movement instruction to children and families with disabilities. It's art for more than just art's sake, and that's a movement I can get behind.