Art you can sit on

Buckhorn Fine Art Festival's "Chair Affair" auction raises funds for the Buckhorn Community Centre

Local artists have transformed unwanted chairs into original works of art that will be auctioned off on May 28 in support of the Buckhorn Community Centre
Local artists have transformed unwanted chairs into original works of art that will be auctioned off on May 28 in support of the Buckhorn Community Centre

If you want the chance to own an original piece of “chair art”, you’ll want to attend the Buckhorn Fine Art Festival’s Chair Affair auction on Thursday, May 28th at the Market Hall in Peterborough.

Twenty local artists have donated their time and talent to take broken and unwanted chairs and transform them into one-of-a-kind works of art. The chairs are currently on display in the lower level of Peterborough Square in downtown Peterborough until May 28th.

Participating artists are Debra Bannister, Pat Barr, Bonnie Biro, Penny Boyd, Joanne Calderone, Leigh Crooks, Linda Devine, Brianna Gosselin, Kay Gregg, Tracey Henry, Jeffrey Macklin, Anita Morris, Jennifer Oliveira, Renee Paul, Bob Pennycook, Carol Rutherford, Victoria Wallace, Ron Ward, Charlene Warman, and Sally Yardley.

On Thursday, May 28th, 23 items will be included in the live auction, which begins at 6 p.m. in the Brandhealth Bar and Lobby at the Market Hall. Deb Crossen from Magic 96.7 will emcee the event, with Jason McIntosh as the auctioneer.

The inaugural event is a fundraiser for the Buckhorn Community Centre. Proceeds from the auction will be split equally between the artists and the Buckhorn Community Centre.

The Buckhorn Community Centre is an independently owned and not-for-profit charitable organization with a unique history.

In 1977, a small group of Buckhorn residents mortgaged their homes to help fund the construction of a facility to serve the cultural and recreational needs of families living and vacationing in the area.

Shortly after the centre opened in 1978, one of the founders approached a local artist with the idea of creating an art show to help pay the centre’s mortgage. The Buckhorn Wildlife Art Festival and Sale began and continued to grow over the next two decades.

In 2005, it became the Buckhorn Fine Art Festival to reflect a wider diversity of participating artists and to encourage art outside of a wildlife theme.

The chairs are on display at the lower level of Peterborough Square until the auction on May 28
The chairs are on display at the lower level of Peterborough Square until the auction on May 28
The Buckhorn Fine Art Festival has continued to be the major fundraiser for the Buckhorn Community Centre. This year’s festival takes place at the Buckhorn Community Centre from August 14th to 16th, 2015.

Earlier this year, Festivals and Events Ontario named the festival as one of the top 100 events in Ontario — for the eighth year in a row.

For more information on the festival, visit www.buckhornfineart.com.

All photos courtesy of the Buckhorn Fine Art Festival