The Box Art Auction, a late summer tradition benefiting East End Hospice, will celebrate its 25th anniversary on August 23 when bidding takes place at St. Luke’s Church in East Hampton.
It all began in 2000, when notable artist David Porter, a founding board member of East End Hospice, and his wife Marion wanted to create a unique fundraiser for the hospice.
They asked 100 area artists to take small, unadorned boxes (cigar and wine boxes) and use them as canvases to create memorable works of art that could be put up for bids at an auction to benefit East End Hospice.
So successful was that first auction that 25 years later, the Auction remains a highlight of the late summer season, with previews and a reception leading up to the August 23 benefit event. All Auction proceeds benefit East End Hospice, which provides care for terminally ill patients, their families, and loved ones living on the North and South Forks of Long Island, including the Eastern Suffolk County townships of Brookhaven. The Box Art Auction benefits residents of the Town of East Hampton communities.
“This year’s Auction will feature some 75 artists,” says Auction chair and curator Arlene Bujese. “The only limitation is size. The artists can use any format, abstract or representational, and any medium, just so it all begins with a box! It’s always exciting as we wait to receive the artists’ creative work. We so appreciate these professional artists who so generously donate their time and talent.”
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