ARLINGTON Art supporters of Arlington enjoyed a fun evening that raised approximately $6,000 for public art in Arlington at the fourth annual Fall into Art Auction presented by the Arlington Arts Council Oct. 21. The auction last year raised $2,500.
Even though a lot of art items sold for less than their retail value, Arlene Swartz said she was very happy with the auction.
I felt as though the art auction is beginning to come of age. A good number of people were there and the bidding was much better than last year. I cant wait to see what happens next year, Swartz said.
A portion of the proceeds from a raffle basket will be dedicated to the gazebo project in Legion Park.
Angie Skov won the raffle basket with a $100 certificate for the Bistro San Martin as well as a book about wine, two bottles of wine, a slumped wine bottle cheese tray and other goodies, a benefit for the gazebo in Legion Park. All other proceeds from the Fall into Art Auction will go toward the Arlington Arts Councils effort to acquire more pubic art for Arlington.
Betty Henley won another surprise give-away in the Heads or Tails game, that started with after a group of about 30 people who agreed to play by committing a $10 donation.
Then the winner was selected in a series of tossing of the coin, as participants clutched their head or their tail.
It was a splendid success, said another member artist, Marguerite Goff, who is working on completing a commission that resulted from last years auction. Everyone had fun and it went very smooth. Goffs school of ceramic fish has evolved from using existing molds to creating four new molds of Chinook salmon and coho, so the various fish will be swimming in different directions.
Presenters of the auction, the Arlington Arts Council has identified at least one specific piece of art to acquire a Kirk McLean sculpture called, Center of the Universe depicting the topography of the Arlington area in obsidian. AAC members hope the city will agree to place that small but elegant work of art on the new plaza at City Hall.
The arts council coordinates the Centennial Trail Sculpture Walk each year and two of the sculptures on the trail are permanent installations. Verena Schwipperts Salmon Spawning Pool and Dedicated to the Beauty of Earth. The arts council strives to keep adding sculptures along the Centennial Trail into the future.
One arts council member who is also chair of the citys Parks, Arts and Recreation Commission, Virginia Hatch feels the auction was a terrific success.
I believe that our body of supporters is increasing year by year. This year, people were coming to us to buy tickets. Our supporter are not only artists, but also business people and city officials as well as other citizens who are getting behind our idea of having public art in Arlington, Hatch said.
The secretary of the Arlington Arts Council, Monica Yantis said she was very happy with how it all came together.
It was nice to go home and rest a bit after setting up, she said. She also acknowledged the auctioneer and his assistant, AAC member Vicci Hilty.
I loved the way Fred Beal [the auctioneer] and Vicci worked together. They were really funny, Yantis said her sister and her husband, who just moved to the area, really enjoyed meeting all the great people. Of course it didnt hurt, they were the winners of the raffle basket.
They spent $1,000, Yantis said.
Three corporate donors helped to cover costs of the event so that all the proceeds from the auction could be delegated to art. Corporate donors were Maryann Monty of Ramo Realty, the city of Arlingtons Parks, Arts and Recreation Commission and The Arlington Times. Business owners George Boulton, of Flowers by George, and Robin Miller, of Favorite Pastime paid an extra $50 for their corporate tables.
The next Arlington Arts Council project is the North Arlington Studio Tour, with stops at four Arlington area working studios as well as Favorite Pastime in downtown Arlington.
For information about the Arlington Arts Council call Virginia Hatch at 360-403-1011 or Jean Olson at 360-435-5866.