Ocracoke Preservation Society & Museum, Ocracoke Island, NC
Quilt Raffle Tickets
Art Openings
Another Successful OPS Art Show!
Sunday, January 25, 2015
by Sundae Horn
(Reprinted with permission from the Ocracoke Current)
“Ocracoke Through Your Eyes”
brought in over $5000 for the local non-profit.
The best guesses of the event’s coordinators are that 75 (maybe even 80!) people braved the winter winds to come out to the Ocracoke Preservation Society Museum for the "Ocracoke Through Your Eyes" Art Show on Saturday evening.
They came to see the 81 little works of art created just for this fundraiser and donated by the artists. Some visitors made a special trip to Ocracoke to attend the reception and silent auction. Some attendees may have come for the free food (chicken salad, deviled eggs, veggies galore, cheese straws, figs and chevre, hummus, focaccia, spinach dip, buffalo chicken cheese dip, pears and apples and stilton, oh my!) and drink (wine and more wine!)
“It was fabulous,” said OPS administrator Amy Howard at the end of the night. She and her assistant Ann Borland had put in quite a day hanging art, setting up the museum, prepping food – and fielding the flurry of emails from last-minute online bids.
“By opening up online bidding before the on-site part of the event, we help Ocracoke fans who can't be here to connect with the island and be a part of a community event,” Amy said. Online bids also help to get good prices for some of the pieces, as the bidder has to give their top amount before the online bidding closes. (OPS isn’t eBay and can’t bid for you!)
By noon on Saturday, when the online bidding ended, OPS already had over $2000 in bids, and they could only go up from there!
“I think the artistic talent is just outstanding,” he said. “I’m not surprised, I’m just encouraged to see everyone sharing their talents.”
Philip went home with a canvas – "Howard Street Ghost" by Bob Ray was just too tempting to resist.
Gary Mitchell was at his second OPS Art Show. Last year, Gary said he wanted to contribute a work of art to this year’s show. He had good intentions, but said he just found out about the art opening yesterday. My suggestion? Read the Current, Gary. Be informed.
Anyway, Gary was enjoying his outsider art appreciation.
“Most of my favorites are not getting very high bids,” he said. “I guess I’m just weird.”
Gary’s wife, Kitty Mitchell, is an artist and somehow heard about the OPS show.
“There’s so much talent,” she said. “I see so many great out-of-the-box ideas.”
“It’s even better than last year, if that could be possible,” said contributing artist Denise Deacon. “I could put it on my calendar and count on it to be a blustery night.” We both agreed that, just like last year, it was great to see a full house at the Museum, in spite of the weather.
In the Maritime Room, a bidding war was raging over a painting by Ocracoke homeowner Margaret Trainer. A local resident was making a valiant effort to take the little gull painting home with him, but his adversary, Beth Sloan, was in it to win it. Turns out she’s Margaret’s mother, and her collection of her daughter’s work was not yet complete.
“In my house in little Washington, my sunroom is full of Margaret’s work,” she said. Now she has one more piece to grace her walls.
Although Mrs. Sloan wasn’t bidding on any other art, she was full of praise for the creativity around her.
“I love it all,” she said. “I think [the art show] is a terrific idea and I love the party.”
Margaret attended the show last year and went home with three pieces of artwork. She was keeping an eye on her current bids (“about 6 or 7” of them) while we talked.
“I was an art student in college, and I minored in painting,” she said, when I asked about her bird. “I haven’t painted in a long time and I got really nervous about it. It was more nerve-wracking than starting my taxes – I started on my taxes first before I did the painting!”
Visiting artist Dan Curry contributed a print of a painting he did of Portsmouth Island. (He’s also the grandfather of the two youngest artists with work in the show, Noah and Castor Hardy, ages 4 and 2.)
He thought the OPS Art Show was “wonderful. It’s amazing how many talented artists there are on the island. I love the diversity.”
Dan will be on the island through the end of March and is offering pastel workshops while he’s here. He’ll also be working with Ocracoke School kids in the after-school program, and later will teach Ocracoke kids as part of the Ocracoke Alive program to provide art education.
The highest bid of the night was for Jane Griffin's quilted "Oyster Odyssey: Catch! Clean! Feast!" triptych created in honor of Ocracoke watermen and in memory of her husband, Judge William Griffin. The bidding war over this entry went back and forth so long that it took a second sheet of paper to record all the bids. Leslie Monticone was ultimately triumphant and took home the artwork for her husband, Bill, who was a close friend to Bill Griffin.
At the end of the night, Amy posted the winning bids on the OPS Facebook page so the off-island bidders could see if they won. Volunteers sorted the artwork, cashed out the winners, and cleaned up the museum.
"We had an incredible group of volunteers to help in every aspect of the event to help it flow smoothly," Amy said. She also expressed thanks to all the generous artists and the bidders who appreciate their efforts.
This embroidered mermaid was handmade by local quilter,
Nancy Carlson (#9)
6 x 8 canvas
"Winter Light"
by William Frable (#10)
6 x 8 canvas
Mallard in Joe Bells by Sandy Hicks
(#2)
6 x 8 canvas
Joe Bells 2
by Pat Schweninger
(#4)
6 x 8 canvas
Dusky Harbor
by Adam Schwoeppe
(#1)
6 x 8 canvas
Two Places at Once by Ingeborg Frye
(#6)
6 x 8 canvas
Joe Bells 1
by Pat Schweninger
(#3)
6 x 8 canvas
"Ocracoke Transforms Me"
by Nan Scott
(#5)
6 x 8 canvas
Beach Sunset by Nancy Sadler
(#7)
6 x 8 canvas
"Ghostly Skimmer" by Norma Sigal
(#8)
8 x 10 matted watercolor
Canvas turned into jewelry holder with necklace
by Cheryl Despot
(#11)
6 x 8 canvas
Sand Dollar
by Ruth Fordon
(#12)
6 x 8 canvas
Sunset
by Jane Gibbs
(#13)
7 1/4 x 9 1/4 framed
Marsh View
by Peggy Powers
(#14)
6 x 8 canvas
Ocracoke Through An Owl's Eyes
by Maureen Ohar Ciancio
(#15)
6 x 8 canvas
Clammer
by Arleen Burley
(#16)
6 x 8 canvas
Spilling Over With Beach Flotsam
by Susan Dayton
(#17)
6 x 8 canvas
Ocracoke Lighthouse
by Karen Burgan
(#18)
7 x 9 frame by Barry Burgan from 1800's barn wood
Mail Cat Meow
by Maureen Ohar Ciancio
(#20)
6 x 8 canvas
Joe Bell Flower
by Maureen Ohar Ciancio
(#30)
6 x 8 canvas
Crab
by Jennifer Rich (#19)
6 x 8 canvas
Perspective
by Lynn King Bowen (#21)
6 x 8 canvas
Sunset
by Jeff Schleicher (#22)
6 x 8 canvas
Oyster Odyssey: Catch! Clean! Feast!
by Jane Griffin (#25)
6 x 8 canvas
Sunset in Tape
by Jubal Creech (#24)
6 x 8 canvas
Music and Sunsets
by Barbara Walker (#23) 6 x 8 canvas
The Compass Rose
by Melinda Sutton (#28)
6 x 8 canvas
Movable Art
by Flavia Burton (#27)
6 x 8 canvas
Ocracoke Light
by Debbie Leonard (#26)
6 x 8 canvas
Gull
by Margaret Trainer (#29)
6 x 8 canvas
Arthur's Gifts
by Sally Schwoeppe (31)
6 x 8 canvas
Remember The Simple Pleasures by
Sally Schwoeppe (#32)
6 x 8 canvas
Birds of a Feather Flock Together
by Maureen Ohar Ciancio (#35)
6 x 8 canvas
Springer's Point
by Vicky Lowe (#41)
6 x 8 canvas
Abstract
by Jeanne Rhea (#44)
Fleur De Lis
by Aimee Marie Duddey Vass, NC (#33)
Enduring Love
by Jan Nichols McClay (#45) 6 x 8 canvas
Endless Horizon
by Amy Smith (#46)
6 x 8 canvas
Croke - with Removable Found Object Fish
by Mary Neligan (#34)
Southern Pines NC
6 x 8 canvas
Creeks
by Tree Ray (#42)
5x7 canvas
Keep Me A-Float II
by Denise Deacon (#47) 6x8 canvas
Howard Street Ghost
by Bob Ray (#43)
6x8 canvas
Gone Fishing with Removable Necklace and Earrings
by Jean Skipper (#37)
Vass, NC
6 x 8 canvas
Floral
by Marlene Smith (#36)
Vass, NC
6 x 8 canvas
Under The Pines with Removable Woven Pine Needle Ornament
by Gail Mortensen-Frazer (#39)
Pinehurst, NC
6 x 8 canvas
Restore
by Jodi Ohl (#38)
Aberdeen, NC
6 x 8 canvas
Wonder with Removable Necklace and Earrings
by Jean Skipper (#40)
Vass, NC
6 x 8 canvas
Lighthouse Beach Glass
by Reggie Mosser (#55) 6x8
Beach Glass Crazy Quilt
by Reggie Mosser (#60) 6x10
Beach Scene
by Mary Bassell (#49) 6x8 canvas
Dance in the Ocean
by Amy Howard (#51) 6x8 canvas
Lighthouse Reflection
by Brenda Kremser (#48) 6x8 canvas
Zentangle Lighthouse
by Maggi Neufer (#53) 6x8 canvas
Silver Lake Reflections
by Brenda Kremser (#52) 6x8 canvas
Silver Lake
by Sartatia Collins (#50) 6x8 canvas
All in a Day's Work by Penny Arrowood (#58) 6 x 8 canvas
Biking Down Lighthouse Road
by Lindsey Bost (#59) 6 x 8 canvas
Seascape
by Cheryl Despo (#54) 6x8 canvas
The Sunset Felt Lovely
by Amy Howard (#57) (driftwood and felt)
Yaupon Tea
by D. DeBarth (#56) 6x8 canvas
Battle at Sea
by Castor Hardy age 2.5 (#65) 6x8
Lighthouse Perspective
by Debbie Leonard (#68) 6x8 canvas
Multi-Dimensional Ocracoke
by anonymous artist (#62) 6x8 canvas
Gull Rising
by Cecilia Carter (#66) 6x8 canvas
Roosting Oystercatchers
by Maria Logan (#61) framed 6x8
Remember Tibet
by Barbara Hardy (#63) 6x8 oil on wood
Picture, Picture
by Noah Hardy age 5 (#64) 6x8
I Love Ocracoke... by Mickey Baker (#69)
Midnight Moon
by Tara Grey (#70)
Orange Girl
by C. Mitchell (#72)
Markets and Motorbikes
by Marissa Gross (#71)
Reflections
by C. Mitchell (#73)
Copper Enameling Sailboat in French bowl
by Genevieve Sansone (#67) Handmade copper enameling affixed to a clay bowl
Final Sunset, 2014
by Brenda Kremser (#75)
Medium: Photography
Wild Ocracoke
by Essie O'Neal and Nancy Leach (#74) (Essie is an Ocracoke School Kindergartener)
