Auction raises money to complete Old Stoney

The format for the twelfth annual Old Stoney Art Auction was a little different to previous years, but Museum Director Rocky Courchaine says that seems to have gone down well with the crowd.

This year, the auction was hosted inside the newly renovated cultural center with the goal of raising money to complete the auditorium on the top floor – the final piece of the project, which will see the entire building upgraded to modern standards.

For this year’s event, a wine sommelier was in attendance, pairing food with wines, and four artists worked live on brand new pieces throughout the evening, to be auctioned off at the end.

Meanwhile, attendees had the chance to spin the wheel to win prizes, purchase a mystery bag of wine or peruse the silent auction items that, like the pieces in the live auction itself, were donated by local artists. The grand prize from the evening’s gambling events was a two-night stay at the Devils Tower Lodge, won by Cricket Mills.

Artwork from local names ranging from Sarah Rogers, Alexandra Hansen and Judy Hamm to Jon Crane and Jim Pridgeon were included in the auction. The piece that raised the high bid this year was a buffalo painting completed live on the night by Bruce Speidel.

“The food was phenomenal, the live artists went over well,” says Courchaine. “We couldn’t have done it without all the volunteers.”

The final total raised was not yet available at time of going to press, but appears to be on par with past events, according to Courchaine. Donations towards the final piece of the rejuvenation project are always welcome, he says.