June 2008
Sitting Pretty For PACE
The Four Seasons by Fred Lisaius
The Act One Guild for Performing Arts Center Eastside (PACE), announces a major new public art and fundraising project to benefit PACE. Sitting Pretty For PACE will showcase 43 handcrafted, artist-decorated benches that will be offered for auction at the 2008 Candlelight Dinner & Bench Auction on November 1, 2008 at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue.
Swirl Bench by Steve Jensen
After an extensive search and review process, 27 Northwest artists have been selected to use their creative skills to transform 29 large benches, which are five feet long, and 14 small benches, which are three feet long, into unique works of art. The benches are constructed of yellow cedar and iron by Rainchild Metal Works, located on Camano Island. This fall the benches will be exhibited at the Bellevue Arts Museum September 16th through September 28th and will be on display in Bellevue Square during the month of October.
Intermission by Amy Spassov
According to Frances Taylor, Chair for the Bench Artist Search Committee, no specific theme was provided to the artists; rather the focus was on the broader topic of the performing arts. "Many of the benches feature musical instruments or dance performances, while others are more symbolic," she says. "We ended up with a very exciting and varied representation of performances."
"This is an exciting new project created by the Act One Guild which is now in their fifth year of fundraising for PACE," says Suzanne Hutchinson, Director of Guilds. The Act One Guild is experienced in major projects featuring public art. The Guild presented the Bucks For PACE project in 2006 where 26 life-size fiberglass Bucks (deer) were hand painted by regional artists and auctioned at the Autumn Candlelight Dinner & Bucks For PACE Auction with great success.
Karen Dunn
Janis Wold
"This fantastic group of 44 women generously share their time and talent on behalf of PACE because they believe that there is a strong need for the addition of a 2,000-seat performing arts venue in Bellevue to serve Eastside audiences," says Hutchinson. "Act One Guild President Nancy Walker, and 2008 Candlelight Dinner & Bench Auction Co-Chairs Karen Dunn and Janis Wold have done a great job of leading this project effort. The goal is to raise more than $500,000 for PACE this year."
The Bench designs are currently available for viewing at the Act One Guild website, along with more information about the Bench artists and the upcoming 2008 Candlelight Dinner & Bench Auction - Sitting Pretty For PACE.