Saturday, July 9th at 4:30 p.m at the Orcas Senior Center
— by Emma Heikkinen —
Artists and staff at the Senior Center prepare for the July 9 auction
Those who have never set foot in the Orcas Senior Center are invited to enjoy a wide display of art within, alongside long-time visitors of the establishment. The Live Auction will take place on Saturday, July 9th at 4:30 p.m.,with wine provided by San Juan Vineyards and the Country Corner, hors d’oeuvres by Christina Orchid, and chai by Holly Dennis. Musicians Skye Hovelman and Paris Wilson will perform.
The art featured was discovered among the treasures of Granny’s Attic, an event held by the Senior Center which sells donated items. Over the past year and a half, works have been accumulating under the eyes of Senior Services Specialist Jami Mitchell, Jacqueline Kempfer, and Suzanne Lamb, among others. Chair of the Granny’s Attic committee Milly Vetterlein, in particular, began noticing the true value of pieces donated by the public. Such pieces included works by Mischa Askenazy and a print of Claude Monet’s Goldfish, and a collection began gathering. Lamb cataloged the works, using the same formula as that used for the art cataloged at the Orcas Island Library. Kempfer fund-raised and organized the art according to aesthetics.
The event has been coordinated by a myriad of volunteers, notably Arron Redford, Didier Gincig, and Jami Mitchell, in association with others on the Visual Arts Committee. Other volunteers, like the Orcas Island High School leadership class, Rosemarie Altberg, Robbie Walker, and Heidi Lindberg helped to make the event a reality.
The silent auction has taken place since June 13th, and visitors are welcome to continue bidding until the live event. The doors are open Monday to Friday from 9 to 5. The works featured aren’t limited to high-brow, expensive paintings — there’s something for everyone, with a wide price range.
All are invited to attend. All proceeds will go to the Orcas Senior Center. Tickets for the live event are $25 at the door, and $20 in advance. Two wine tickets are included with the entry ticket, and can be used in a raffle. Art not previously featured on the walls of the center will be auctioned off at the event, as well — some “unexpected paintings, a “few surprises”, including 3-D items.
