‘Quirky’ quarters
Artists build some off-beat houses for OFFCenter fundraiser
From houses crunched from tin cans to abodes wound in string, the 13th Annual “Albuquirky” Little Houses Silent Auction offers some whimsical mini masterpieces on Friday, May 4.
Slated for the Sumner & Dean gallery, the auction gathers artistcreated houses in OFFCenter Community Arts Project’s biggest fundraiser. Past artists have included Frank McCulloch, Angus Macpherson and Stephanie Lerma.
All of the proceeds go to OFFCenter’s free arts education program, art-making and selling opportunities reaching more than 3,500 people annually.
This year’s crop includes a house made of mosaics and a house sculpted into the shape of a Hershey’s Kiss.
“It’s got like chocolate dripping over it,” executive director Robert Allen said.
Artists made houses constructed of X-acto blades and nails, a cigar box, puzzle pieces and an eight ball.
“They have all kinds of things attached to them like pennies,” Allen said.
Another artist fashioned a tiny teahouse wallpapered in tea labels, another a coffee house covered in coffee beans.
Then there’s the “house of string.” “The artist was celebrating the fact that he’s not all strung out anymore,” Allen said.
The miniature abodes must be six-by-six inches wide and no taller than 24 inches. Bidding begins at $25 with $5 raffle tickets.
Organizers expect a crowd of about 700.