PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Chairs dug out of storage or rescued from dumpsters have been given new life thanks to local artists for the 3rd Annual Wintergreen Arts Center CHAIR-ity Silent Auction.
Creatives from The County and western New Brunswick of all ages and backgrounds poured hours into designing 52 unique places to sit to help raise money for Wintergreen’s art programs.
“All of these chairs came from local artists, the chairs are all donated, they came from somebody’s basement, garage, a dumpster, they came from everywhere,” Dottie Hutchins, executive director of Wintergreen, said at the official benefit kick-off during the center’s First Friday Art Walk celebration on Nov. 3.
Each chair featured at Friday evening’s festivities were on display at the art center for folks to place bids.
“All the chairs are going to be here until Nov. 18,” Hutchins said. “And then the Presque Isle Rotary Auction opens their store at the Aroostook Centre Mall, where all the chairs will move to, so people can see and bid until Dec. 16.”
The chairs also will be displayed on the center’s Facebook page to collect online votes.
“It just gives the whole community a chance to participate,” she said.
Past CHAIR-ity fundraisers have brought in more than $1,000 to help fund after school art programs.
First Friday patrons mingled at the art center Friday evening enjoying free refreshments and bid on the creative works. Just up the road from Wintergreen, at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, the Reed Art Gallery was presenting “The Lay of the Land Reconsidered” by Therese Provenzano. The free exhibition will be open to the public until Dec. 15.
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- Chairs rescued from storage or dug out of dumpsters have been given new life thanks to local artists for the 3rd Annual Wintergreen Arts Center CHAIR-ity Silent Auction. Creatives from The County and western New Brunswick of all ages and backgrounds poured hours into designing 52 unique places to sit to help raise money for Wintergreen’s art programs. (Joshua Archer)
