Island residents and visitors packed the halls and display rooms of the Ocracoke Preservation Society on Saturday, January 26th for the sixth annual Ocracoke Through Your Eyes art auction fundraiser.
Throughout the year the museum distributes 6”x8” canvases to anyone who is interested with the instructions to create something that means Ocracoke to them, i.e., Ocracoke through their eyes, and to return the finished canvases to the museum. The canvases are then displayed and sold in silent auction format on the fourth Saturday in January.
The event has been a huge success. Not only do people create art with the canvases, many people donate other types of art such as original prints or photos, signed art, watercolors, etc. Some of the more unusual pieces this year were a painting done on a piece of wood, a wooden slab and doorknob from the Island Inn, an O-shaped canvas, wreaths, and a metal work sculpture.
The fundraiser was the brainchild of former director Amy Howard as a mid-winter event that could enlist the participation of island residents and some of the many people who love to visit Ocracoke. Amy, who submitted two pieces to the auction this year, said the she is “thrilled that the auction is still going on.”
And what is an event without food? Museum director Andrea Powers put together a nacho buffet featuring delicious toppings for tortilla chips and side accompaniments while members of the special events committee and other volunteers supplied desserts and cookies. Volunteer Scott Bradley and board member Bill Cole served as bartenders, dispensing wine, beer, sodas, and water to the attendees.
Though OPS board president Ken DeBarth was busy monitoring the bidding and calling out the warnings when the bidding in various rooms was about to close, he took a few moments to comment on the night’s event. “It’s great,” he said, referring to the auction. “The quality of art has gone up each year; it’s a fabulous fundraiser here in the bottom of the winter.”
Many in the crowd were attending for the first time. Ocracoke resident and proprietor of the Old Salt Sandwich food truck, Anne Stuart O’Neal, had to leave work early to get to the auction on time. It was her first year to attend and she had a list of several items on which to bid. “This is a great thing,” she said.
Amy and Nathan Spencer, part-time island residents, were also newcomers to the auction. “I like little things,” said Amy as she examined the plethora of small canvases.
Attending for the first time, island resident Susan Dippold was busy looking for a companion piece to the canvas that husband Jeff purchased last year. “I have a special spot for it,” she said. “I like sunsets.”
Island resident Margaret Trainer created two pieces of art for the auction this year but she also likes to bid. “I love it,” she said. “I come every year if I can.” She has special areas in her rental homes for her purchases.
Another first time auction-goer was Bailey Dwyer from Currituck, NC. Bailey also submitted a piece to the auction. Her family visits the island several times a year. While visiting the museum this summer, she was persuaded to take a canvas. Her artwork, which she described as “cartoon-like,” brought a winning bid of $100.00.
Centreville, VA resident Jean Finnegan was attending for her second year. She loves Ocracoke and has been a frequent visitor since first coming to the island with her parents in the 1970’s. She planned her trip especially to attend the auction and had a list of 24 items on which she was bidding.
The majority of the pieces were created by people who live elsewhere. Mike and Carol Self are Ohio residents who own a rental house on the island. They have been visiting Ocracoke since the 1970’s and try to visit a couple of times a year. This is their third year to submit artworks. Mike gave the credit for the idea of his metal sculpture of the lighthouse to Carol. It was a great idea as it brought a bid of $200.
Denise Deacon, a frequent visitor who lives in Kitty Hawk, NC. has submitted work for the auction four times. This year’s paintings were in oil, a new medium for Denise. Her previous works were in different mediums each year such as pen and ink, colored pencil, and acrylic paints. However, she really enjoyed working in oil. “I can’t wait to do more!” she exclaimed.
Island residents were responsible for roughly a third of the submissions including local artist and Ocracoke School art teacher Kitty Mitchell and several of her students. Student Whisper Meacham submitted two pieces. One piece was created in art class while the second was the result of an impromptu painting session at the Magic Bean Coffee Shop.
“I came into the coffee shop and Miss Kitty was painting and she encouraged me to do one for the auction,” said Whisper. She commented that she is trying to get back into doing more art. “I really like pen and ink,” she said.
Several other Ocracoke students had work in the show. Ninth grader Jackson Strange and his mom, former museum director, Allison O’Neal, were busy checking out the works created by his fellow students. Jackson painted his entry entitled “Falling Stars” in Miss Kitty’s art class.
As they have each year, every piece was sold. “We auctioned off 104 pieces of art,” said Andrea Powers. “We raised over $6,000.00 for OPS!” Andrea continued, “There was lots of plotting and haggling, great food and drinks, and the time spent with friends and family made for a wonderful evening.”
Although several pieces went for $200 or more, the highest seller, with a bid of $325, was a painting from an island resident and artist, the late Elizabeth Parsons, donated by Bisse Bowman. And while the highest bid went to the Elizabeth Parsons's piece, the painting by her great-nephew, Ocracoke high school student Parker Gaskill, garnered the most bids due to a bidding war which was ultimately won by his father, Monroe Gaskill.
Andrea Powers would like to express her appreciation to everyone who participated whether by creating art, bidding, supplying food, or helping with the auction. Mark your calendars for next year’s event, Ocracoke Through Your Eyes, to be held on January 25th, 2020. Start planning your creation now! Canvases are available at the Ocracoke Preservation Society, 49 Water Plant Rd., Ocracoke, NC. The phone number is 252-928-7375.
