WORDS and PICTURES
Southern Lit Alliance’s SmArt auction melds the two
Art may be the centerpiece of the SmArt auction, but the organization presenting this fundraiser for literacy won’t lose sight of the written word. Each of the artists is also submitting a written piece to go along with their artwork — “a poem or something that inspires their work,” says Lynda LeVan, executive director of the Southern Lit Alliance, whose outreach programs support reading and literary arts.
“One of the points we want to make is literature is art,” she says.
To show their interconnectedness, some of the accompanying literary pieces will be read during the evening as guests peruse the works up for bids.
Some artists have even incorporated words into the artwork, such as Mindy Kelly’s “Girl With Her Head in the Books.” Her subject’s facial makeup and cascade of curls are partially fashioned from the pages of books.
Scheduled Thursday at The Venue on Cummings Highway, the SmArt auction features a “stylishly curated” selection of original work by regional artists. The evening will include music by Moose Truck and food and libations from Swiss Am and Riverside Wine & Spirits.
LeVan explains that some may remember the SmArt auction’s predecessor.
“It used to be called Artamajig when the Southern Lit Alliance was known as the Arts & Education Council,” she says. Despite name changes for the event and organization, the focus remains relatively constant: offering a variety of artwork to fund programs meant to develop creativity and curiosity.
Mainstay programs such as Theatre Express, Writers in Classrooms, Creative Writing Workshops for Teachers and the annual Young Southern Student Writers competitions have enriched countless students in elementary, high school and college classrooms over the years, Levan says. In addition to those ongoing offerings, So Lit will host the SouthWord Literary Festival in November.
LeVan says 41 paintings and hanging sculptures will be available during the SmArt auction, one piece from each artist.
“We jury them by invitation only, and ask them to submit one piece,” she says.
“We will have music going on … while the auction is playing out,” she says. “When the auction closes at 8:30, we will still have things happening,” including demonstrations by a henna painter.
Opening bids will vary in the silent auction. All are set at 60 percent of the retail value, as determined by the artist. LeVan says sizes range from about 12 by 18 inches to 30 by 30 inches.
“Not anything too enormous,” she says. “We really encourage [the artists] to stick with something that could be used in any space.”
And something that can be easily toted home afterward.
“We hope everybody takes it with them,” she says. “I don’t have room in my car.”