PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Wintergreen Arts Center was filled with homemade treasures this past Friday during the kickoff of the organization’s 4th annual CHAIR-ity auction.
Eleven items from 11 different artists were showcased on the evening of Nov. 2, as visitors browsed through the center before placing their online bids. The auction will be open on www.greggauctions.com until December 1 and folks can choose from a variety of repurposed items such as a set of side tables made from two drawers, painted spoons and a dry erase board made from an old window.
“We decided to make the theme of this year’s auction ‘Repurposing with a Purpose,’” said Kara Addington, Wintergreen’s center manager. “It’s fun to see people turn what would normally be considered trash into items that others can use. All the items here were donated from local artists.”
Among the auction’s featured items is a barn board frame with barbed chicken cage wires that Danielle Clark, of Caribou, used to create a place to hang notes and other special keepsakes on.
“We have chickens at home, and so we always have a lot of extra barbed wire and wooden boards around. Everything here except the clothespins are items that I already had,” said Clark, who is also a member of Wintergreen’s board of directors. “I like the idea of taking things that would have been thrown away and giving them a new purpose.”
The opening night of the auction brought out many community members, including Steve and Gloria Towle, of Easton. Gloria Towle noted that she was interested in bidding on “Into the Looking Glass,” a repurposed stained glass piece held in a barn board frame and created by Melanie Cyr, of Presque Isle.
“It’s nice to see local talent displayed. All these pieces are one-of-a-kind items that you normally don’t see anywhere else,” Gloria Towle said.
All proceeds from the CHAIR-ity auction will benefit Wintergreen’s after-school and summer arts programs. The items will also be available for bidding during the 71st annual Presque Isle Rotary Auction in November.
