M2G Ventures’ annual Art of the Mind gala raised more than $500,000 this year to support the company’s Mental Health Initiative, the North Texas real estate firm announced this week.
The sixth annual event, held Nov. 6 at Tannahill’s Tavern & Music Hall in the Fort Worth Stockyards, drew more than 300 guests for an evening of art and experiences auctioned to benefit the UT Southwestern Center for Depression Research & Clinical Care in Tarrant County and The Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation and its Summit for Research.
Since its founding in 2019 by M2G cofounders Jessica Miller Essl and Susan Miller, the Mental Health Initiative has raised more than $2 million.
“MHI’s philanthropic beneficiaries are notable institutions doing great work, and these are long-term partnerships for us,” Miller said in a statement. “Their work and research-based care set the standard for future partnerships. We are growing and evolving MHI and understand the importance of backing change-makers. We are their biggest cheerleaders and can’t wait to see how we can support them in the future.”
The UT Southwestern CDRC brings services, studies and resources to children and young adults across North Texas and is nationally recognized for innovative research in unipolar and bipolar depression. The Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation’s annual Summit for Research convenes 20 leading suicidologists. Its 2024 Impact Report attributes the summit’s influence to a 75% decrease in suicide in the schools the foundation serves.
Art of the Mind featured commissioned works by local, regional and national artists, alongside experience-based auction items, including a culinary experience donated by Tim Love, an Amazon fishing trip, and a luxury yachting adventure. Entertainment included a performance by Fort Worth native Armond Vance and a private concert by Hans Williams.
“The impact of this event grows each year because our community continues to show up with compassion, generosity and a collective passion for change,” Essl said.