With a new location in the soaring space of Thomas Berry Hall at Chinook, a dining experience provided by noted chefs Tom and Katie French, and a plethora of auction items to intrigue guests — and tempt them to bid — Saturday’s sixth annual benefit auction for the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts promises an evening celebrating art in all its forms.
The event will begin in its customary fashion, with flutes of champagne greeting guests at the opening reception and the displays of silent auction items open for exploration and bidding. These items begin in value at just $20, and include a selection of nearly 100.
There are the practical things: an oil change, pet food, a vacuum cleaner, a watering can, window cleaning, ferry tickets. Winning bidders can get a “brighter smile with Dr. Ric Prael,” a child’s rocking chair or a Chinese screen. There are many pieces of fine art, including Anne Belov prints, Soul Cards from Deborah Koff-Chapin, Pete Wolf pottery, or a box of poetry signed by David White.
And those are just a few items, and just in the silent auction.
Kip Toner will conduct the live auction in the energetic, entertaining style that has become his signature. The items up for bid will be worthy of his enthusiasm, said Deana Duncan of WICA, auction coordinator.
“There are a few things that make this auction pretty special,” Duncan said. “Georgia Gerber’s fourth ornament in her series of pewter animals will be announced and showcased (if done in time),” Duncan said. Gerber began three years ago casting a limited edition of holiday sculptures that she has donated to community causes. In turn, art lovers have been able to acquire them for a donation to one of the charities.
“The winning bidder will be one of the first to own the entire collection,” Duncan said.
In the same arena of fine arts, glass artist David Gignac has offered a day of glassblowing for two as one of the live auction items. He has also crafted the glass bowl centerpieces on each table, and will sign them for winning bidders.
“We also have wonderful trips to London, Maui, Lake Chelan, and Vancouver, B.C.,” Duncan said.
Some of the auction items are perennial favorites: Marcia and Klaus Zech’s jar of caramels — deemed “priceless”; a delivery of crushed rock from Island Asphalt; a flight in a Boeing 777 flight simulator; and lunch in jail with the sheriff.
New on the auction list this year are a lifesized Ichiro signed cutout; a “dog days of summer” barbecue for six pups and their owners; and “Air Combat USA,” not a flight simulator but the first-hand experience of flying a fighter in simulated air-to-air combat.
“Phase I provides an introduction to the tactical fighter maneuvers,” reads the auction catalog. “Fully briefed, you will climb into the aircraft alongside your instructor; with your hands on the controls, you will engage in six ‘g-pulling’ dogfights.” Dream value: $1,000.
A favorite part of the WICA annual auction is the Restaurant Frenzy, a fast and furious bidding war for gift certificates to 13 Whidbey Island restaurants. Another regular auction feature is Fund-A-Project. This year the money raised will help produce WICA’s ambitious production of “A Christmas Carol.” All those who donate to the project will receive two tickets to the play and will be listed in the program as producers.
“I would like to invite everyone to the auction,” Duncan said. “Though it’s a beautiful and wonderful event, it is not a big exclusive party. The more people we have the more fun it will be.”
Tickets are still available for La Bella Sera, which, Duncan notes, means “the beautiful evening.”
“I got the theme from watching the closing ceremonies of the Olympics last winter,” Duncan said. “Italy is going to host the next winter games and gave a brief preview of their themes and Olympic towns, and they called it La Bella Sera. I loved it immediately and adopted it as our auction theme the very next day.”
