With PAINTS’ 11th annual Bird House Gala approaching on May 30, ceramics students are busy preparing garden art to donate to the event.
Among the artwork that PAINTS, a non-profit organization that supports the arts in Piedmont schools, auctions off at the fundraiser are ceramic garden pieces crafted by PHS students.
“They sell items that relate to birdhouses, gardens and things like that,” said 3D studio art teacher Susan Simonds. “[The students] make things that can go for sale [there], and that will support the arts throughout the community.”
The parameters set for the assignment include each student making three pieces of yard art, of which only one must be donated to the Gala. Simonds said the softball-sized pieces could be flowers, insects, or gnomes.
“It’s cool,” said ceramics 1 student, senior Julia Pitner, who chose to make flowers for the assignment. “It is nice that someone can appreciate [my art]. I don’t know if they will, but it is fun.”
Simonds said that she really enjoys seeing how students interpret their artwork. She can see the evidence of students who are willing to push themselves in the marvelous results they produce.
“We are so happy that students donate their art to our event,” said PAINTS President Betsy Lalli. “We love their work and it always sells really well. It is always very good artwork.”
At last year’s Bird House Gala, Lalli said that student pieces sold from $150 to $500.
“PAINTS is extremely supportive of the arts here at the high school, as well as all the schools,” Simonds said. “It’s nice for the kids to invest themselves into their own programs.”
Other than student art, the Gala brings in much of its art from local artists outside of Piedmont. Most of the pieces are sold through silent auction, but there is a live auction for some of the bigger pieces.
“Last year we had a hand from Mario Chiodo, who is pretty famous in the art world,” Lalli said. “We also had a huge flying wood airplane that was a swing by Daryl Rush and a big One Way sign that was a bird house by Jon Schleuning.”
Last year, the auctioned art raised about $15,000, which Lalli said was a big sum in comparison to other years.
“[This year], we have birdhouses which are all very unique, paintings, the ceramic flowers, and really lots of amazing art for the event,” Lalli said.
