Some of the quirkiest art in Alaska will be revealed on Friday, May 1, at the preview party for the Salvation Army's Transformed Treasures auction.
The annual fundraiser, now in its eighth year, challenges artists to pick through used goods at area thrift stores and use what they find to create imaginative art. Some of the results are purely decorative, but much is practical and utilitarian, though with a strong element of whimsy. All of it is a celebration of repurposing that appeals to both creative types, who vie for the chance to take part each year, and the public; the auction itself, on May 9 this year, always sells out.
The 2015 Transformed Treasures event included a couple of special categories. One was the "File Cabinet Challenge" where artists reworked old office furniture into brand-new creations. Penny Arment turned one into a wine rack, complete with a hidden storage space and a bottle stopper made from an old doorknob. Twelve-year-old Jessi Whalen transformed another file cabinet into a kitchen block titled "Peaches and Cream" after the peach motif on the broken china used to decorate the top.
Another entry in the challenge incorporated a TV tray, wire basket, paper towel holder and "some gently used art supplies" in a functional mobile art station titled "My Space."
"As a child, there was nothing better than the sound of the art cart rolling down the hallway to my classroom," artist Lorri Davis said. "I could hear it coming for what seemed to be miles. 'My Space' was created from memories of the art cart days."
The upcoming auction also has a purse/bag challenge for which artists were encouraged to make something new from an old purse or make a purse or similar container out of something that wasn't such an accessory to start with.
"SkippyJo and Buddy" by Kimberley Sikora did both. She selected a purse, a denim shirt and some other things and morphed them into a comical stuffed critter named, you got it, SkippyJo who comes with his (its?) own backpack. In the backpack is Buddy, a miniature version of SkippyJo.
Other items include dog beds. There are four or five of them this year. Also up for bid are a couple of puppet theaters and an entire barnyard set. One particularly delightful piece is a child's high chair with the chair back transformed into a moose head; it was made by clients of the Salvation Army's Serendipity Adult Day Services, which assists people with Alzheimer's disease.
Among the decorative artwork is a violin, rendered unplayable but very beautiful with rhinestones and a depiction of the Northern Lights by Cindy Pendleton. Titled "Music of the Night," it lights up, so it may have a practical application as a night light.
TRANSFORMED TREASURES PREVIEW will take place from 5-7 p.m. Friday, May 1, at the BP Energy Center, 1014 Energy Court, south of the BP Building. Admission is free.
EIGHTH ANNUAL LUNCHEON AND AUCTION will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 9, in the Egan Center. Tickets are $40 per person, available at tinyurl.com/transformedtreasures or by calling 276-2515.