This is a repost on June 20, 2014, the date of the second annual Big Kahuna Wing Festival.  Here’s the original post from last year.  Today’s festival promises to be even bigger and just as hot as the one last year.  But who cares?  It’s the wings we’re after — right?

Festivals are all over the place, but if this first Big Kahuna Wing Festival on June 22nd is any indication of things to come, there’ll be a next one, for sure.  It was hot all right.  Temps in World’s Fair Park almost reached three digits if you add the heat of “them wangs” with the afternoon sun and music blasting from the on-fire bands that kept us moving even while lined up waiting for saucy delights.  You could go from tent to tent — getting one free wing and a hole punched in the card you got with your $10-at-the-gate ticket. Or, if you found your favorite and wanted more,  you could pony up an extra buck for another round.

Happy ticket sellers wearing Big Orange!

The VIP tent sponsored by Aubrey’s was sold out, and that made these ladies might proud and mighty happy!

It was hard work, but someone had to do it, so we roamed the park and sampled the best.  Like Quaker Steak and Lube where the heat kicked in and we held on tight.

We loved watching the shenanigans of the spirited team Trivia Guys almost as much as sampling their tasty wings.  As people plunked down extra tips, these guys did a shout-out — and the crowd gave ‘em more!

The team from Trivia Guys was a hoot!

Our alma mater — U.T. — passed out entries from the Culinary Institute . . .

and Bert was happy to get an extra wing from Rooster’s when I gave up my ticket for a chance to get a cold bottle of water!

The guys at Flusterclucks won my vote for best T-shirts.  You could try to win one with a dollar donation to benefit Ronald McDonald House and Empty Stocking Fund, the two causes supported by the festival as a whole.

One of the guys from Flusterclucks punches a wing card.

And some folks just went without a shirt.  This guy standing in front of me said he was happy to let me take a picture of his back — or his front, too, for that matter.

So, I asked, when I are you gonna get your legs done? He replied with a smile, That’s comin’ next!

We were tipped off to a “wing ya gotta try” recommendation by someone ahead of us in line at another booth. Try Number 17, he said. But when we got there, the wings were gone.  Given out.  No more.  So we waited (in a patient but hopeful sorta way) for about 30 minutes.  And sure ‘nough, it was worth it.  These wing kings with the name Just Right Wings smoked ‘em first, and then added their own recipe for kickin’ good sauce. When I asked if they had a business, I was told, No, ma’am.  We’re just guys who like to tailgate together.

The guys from Just Right Wings

And ’cause they were a bargain, a plate of home-fried potato chips just had to be bought as a side dish.  Look at the size of that stack. (More water, please!)

It wasn’t just wings at Big Kahuna Wing Festival — there were vendors lined up, too.  From those selling art to those offering fudge and even this one giving us a chance to win a free tailgating package.  That’s right.  If we had won, Tailgate Tennessee would have set up our very own tailgate at all home football games.  (Oh, how I wish they’d drawn our name!)

If you thought moonshine was somethin’ just made by the likes of Popcorn Sutton in the hollers of East Tennessee, you can think again.  This new company from Georgia, Moonshine History (mtnmoonshine@gmail.com), is waiting for their license to sell you gen-u-wine moonshine in the Volunteer State.  (No samples distributed here at Big Kahuna, by the way.)

But Jeff, one of the owners, did have a shirt I liked!

We stood in the hot sun watching two bands get even hotter.  At 1:30 we loved the pounding rhythms of Aaron Tracy Band — great dancing music for those who could stand the heat.

It was non-stop, hard-hitting music from Aaron Tracy Band.

And at 4:00, the lilting, almost-Caribbean, strands of Dishwater Blonde brought out those who weren’t wilted already. (Loved their bongo drums.)  Who says you can’t have your wings and eat ‘em, too?!

Mixing the sound (and eating some wangs!) for Dishwater Blonde.

Big people were at BKWF — like Mayor Tim Burchett and meteorologist Todd Howell (who did nothing about that blasted heat!)

Mayor Tim Burchett and meteorologist Todd Howell of WBIR

One lady had a showstopper — she brought her own tropical bird.  And how she kept that beauty from performing a flyintotheboothandgrabawing thing is beyond me!

From behind the scenes where the “real” men cook wings on big grills and wear matching t-shirts . . .

to just the average (average?) Joes munching on their favorite spicy ones . . .

the inaugural Big Kahuna Wing Festival was a definite hit!

Can’t get enough of these wings!

Next year (if there is a next year), ya gotta make plans to go!

Big Kahuna Wing Festival: http://www.bkwfestival.com

benefitting

News-Sentinel Empty Stocking Fund: http://www.knoxnews.com/news/topic/empty-stocking-fund/

and

Ronald McDonald House of Knoxville: http://www.knoxrmhc.org

“Duncan Boat Dock” by Janis Wilkey

Anytime art and food are paired for an evening to benefit a worthy recipient, you can count us in!  And so it was that when Knoxville artist Mike Berry emailed an invitation to attend Strata-G Jubilee at the Emporium on June 20th benefiting the Knoxville Area Rescue Ministries (KARM), we didn’t hesitate to take him up on it.

It was an evening of live music, original art, live and silent auctions, assorted wines, and Southern hors d’oeuvres! Most of us frequented the buffet more than once.  And who wouldn’t?  Spicy chicken fingers, barbecue short ribs, candied bacon, country ham biscuits, assorted cheeses, and fruit — all from All-Occasion Catering. (Click here.)

Quite tasty!

Art on easels lined the tables on both sides of the open space at the Emporium for the silent auction, and bidders added their names to the lists.

One of my personal favorites in the silent auction was an oil on canvas entitled Home Grown by Marie Miller.

Artists who donated original creations included Joe Parrott, Kathie Odom, Connie Gaertner, and Mike C. Berry of Knoxville; Wayne Blankenship of Fountain City; and Victoria Pearmain and Janis Wilkey of Chattanooga.

Three artists donating work to the event: Joe Parrott, Connie Gaertner, and Mike Berry

“Sunset at Seaside” by Joe Parrott

In addition, five artists painted live at the event: Joe Parrott, Connie Gaertner, Victoria Pearmain, Kathie Odom, and Mike Berry.  As each painting came up for auction, the artists told of the inspiration for the piece and where it had been created.  (How many times do you get to hear from the actual artists?)  Some of the paintings were quite wet since final strokes were added right before the auctioneer called for the goods!

Artist Kathie Odom painting live at Strata-G Jubilee

Auctioneer Harold Reed kept the audience entertained with his quick wit and uncanny observations about art and what makes people bid!

Artist Mike Berry tells the audience about his painting while auctioneer Harold Reed looks on.

For the live auction, baskets of wine as well as paintings like this beautiful scene by Joe Parrott were on the block.

Bright centerpieces topped the stand-up-height tables where people gathered and talked.

Dan Hurst, President and Founder of Strata-G let me snap this picture next to Victoria Pearmain‘s painting Ginkgo Tree. (We think he’s smiling because this is the first event of its kind — and it’s a hit!)

But he was quick to note that the real work was handled by a lot of others.  Like these three guys: Trevor Zimmerman, David Forehand, and Elliott Barnett. 

Jenny Freeman, Vision Implementation Manager for Strata-G, and Betsy Childs, President of Geothermal Utilities, LLC, had fun visiting with the guests and celebrating the end of a classy benefit that was both fun and artsy!

Jenny Freeman and Betsy Childs celebrate a successful event!

Strata-G is an environmental group with this mission on its website: A veteran owned small business committed to a legacy of environmental and energy stewardship through the successful application of engineering, science, and technology.

This same weekend, the company entered two teams in the Dragon Boat Festival (Click here for info) also benefiting KARM! Good corporate citizens, for sure!

It was a fun night for art and KARM — and we hope we get another email from Mike Berry next year.  After all, what’s not to like about art, good Southern food, and a glass of fine wine with friends?!

Strata-G

2027 Castaic Lane

Knoxville, TN 37932

865.934.3400

Website: http://www.stratag.org

Knox Area Rescue Ministries

418 N. Broadway

Knoxville, TN 37917

865.673.6540

Website: http://www.karm.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Knox-Area-Rescue-Ministries/167989479885270?fref=ts

All-Occasion Catering:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alloccasioncatering

Whitney Roberson’s teapot cake

If there’s anything near and dear to the heart of a former English teacher (that would be me), it’s a celebration of books and the joy of reading.  So when I heard that Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library would send a book a month — FREE, you see — I signed up my granddaughter as soon as she was born!!! Sure enough, like clockwork, the postman delivers an age-appropriate book each and every month to the delight of    . . . well, all of us.

So with great pleasure I joined the masses at The Great Cake Bake benefitting Knox County Imagination Library February 23rd at UT’s Neyland Stadium.  Bakers from all over East Tennessee brought in their finest cakes and cupcakes — all to raise funds and promote reading!  An event I could definitely get behind.

Lots of picture-taking at The Great Cake Bake!

Bonnie Naugher, long-time supporter of Friends of the Library, directed me to tables of these juried delights in categories ranging from Beginner to Professional.

Long lines of folks filed past the cakes pointing the details to friends (“Oh, look over here!”), taking pictures, and sniffing the buttercream!

I noticed a definite trend (at least on the children’s book-themed cakes): lots of green frosting.  Like this Dr. Seuss Oh, the Places You’ll Go cake by Devon McGinley, Chesney Julian, and Erin Claxton.

And Lynette Kegley’s green confection depicting Are You My Mother? by P. D. Eastman. (Love that birdie in the nest!)

Author Eric Carle would have been proud of Dale Newman’s Very Hungry Caterpillar: chocolate cake dotted with green frosting and sporting a perky butterfly!

Courtney Haggard topped her three-tiered creation based on Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen’s Mine-o-Saur with — what else? — a green dinosaur!

Lining the center table were the more professional, adult-looking cakes. Adorning Whitney Roberson’s elegant creation were pale orange flowers atop creamy cake rounds.

With layers of pearly white flowers, dots, and frills, Lisa Cunningham’s wedding cake made heads spin.  Her new business, OVENart, opens at the end of May in Maryville — offering cakes, confections, pastries, and breads.

Closer looks at some of the cakes revealed details I never imagined possible.  Just check out Lee Umberger’s perky pirate resting against a palm tree with a happy crab, faithful parrot, and treasure chest by his side!

From the book Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White came a People’s Choice Award. Rebecca Grizzle’s towering, many-layered cake showcased some of the tidiest, tiniest details of the whole show. And there’s a ferris wheel smack dab in the middle!

The Junior People’s Choice Award went to Ellen Cofer for this adorable ensemble, Billy Goat’s Gruff. (Picture from Knox County Imagination Library Facebook Page.  Click here.)

In the cupcake category, A Mud Pie for Mother was the inspiration for Donovan Scott’s piggie-topped creation complete with coconut grass.

My personal award for humor goes to Denise Campbell’s cupcake featuring a witch who met her demise in a sweet sort of way.

If I had to select one cake (and that would be tough) from all the others as a true stand-out, it would be the one by Sara Kroetsch.  Based on Judith Viorst’s Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, this colorful, quilt-topped four-poster with a cute down-and-out kid had it all — detail, workmanship, and a forlorn little face.  Loved it!

Just looking at all these kitchen creations made me long for something sweet to eat.  Fear not.  There was a table filled with goodies ready for purchase.  Most of the cakes on the display tables were for sale, too.  You just had to wait ’til the show was over to take one home.  (A tiny price to pay when you consider you’re bringing home a tasty masterpiece!)

About the time the hunger pangs hit, I spotted Magpie’s booth where they were passing out colorful squares (free!) from a sheet cake based on Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox. (The chocolate was the richest I’d ever had in a commercial cake!)

Thankfully, the Cruze Farm girls were on hand with their great-tasting milk to wash it all down!

It was altogether a great event.  Kids could practice cupcake-decorating.

And volunteers, like Elizabeth Parker and Ashley Jackson from the Knoxville Junior League’s Done in a Day committee  . . .

as well as Anthony and Kate from Gap Kids said they’d definitely man the booths again.  Besides, it was fun just wearing those green shirts!

The Great Cake Bake accomplished its goals and then some:  raising money, boosting reading, and making some of us jealous of those creative bakers. What a great way to spend a Saturday!

If I’d stayed longer, I could’ve sampled The Berenstain Bears from Magpie’s!

If you’ve been to The Great Cake Bake or you’ve got a cake story to tell, please share. We love comments about as much as we love sweets!

Knox County Imagination Library

 https://www.facebook.com/knoxkidsread

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

https://imaginationlibrary.com/

Filed under: Benefits, Children's Books, Cooking, Food Tagged: benefit, cakes, Cruze Farm, cupcakes, Dolly Parton, Imagination Library, Knoxville, Magpie's, Southern food ]]> http://ohtheplaceswesee.com/2013/03/11/books-and-buttercream-at-the-great-cake-bake/feed/ 19 rushasams Whitney Roberson's teapot cake Lots of picture-taking at The Great Cake Bake! IMG_7661 IMG_7744 IMG_7668 IMG_7720 IMG_7672 IMG_7740 IMG_7680 IMG_7689 IMG_7691 IMG_7696 IMG_7697 Billy Goat Gruff Cake IMG_7708 IMG_7711 IMG_7701 IMG_7702 IMG_7718 IMG_7726 IMG_7723 IMG_7714 IMG_7750 IMG_7719 If I'd stayed longer, I could've sampled The Berenstain Bears from Magpie's! GreatCakeBake http://ohtheplaceswesee.com/2012/07/10/hot-time-good-cause-red-white-and-rock-for-red-cross-2/ http://ohtheplaceswesee.com/2012/07/10/hot-time-good-cause-red-white-and-rock-for-red-cross-2/#comments Wed, 11 Jul 2012 02:16:49 +0000 http://ohtheplaceswesee.com/?p=1171 Continue reading →]]>

Red Cross Board Member, Billy Rivet, holding his own with the ladies at Red, White and Rock

No one planning Red, White, and Rock, the Knoxville Area Red Cross fundraiser, could have predicted the heat.  In fact, not even the weatherman could see it coming!  With over 100-degree weather and an outdoor setting at Knoxville’s Cherokee Plaza, Red, White and Rock had the potential for a stay-in-the-cool, nobody-dancin’ event. 

But not so.  It was a rockin’ good time — even with record-setting, hotter-than-blue-blazes temps!

The Silent Auction. Since my husband Bert is on the Red Cross Board, we’ve attended several of these benefits, and whoever is in charge of acquiring top-notch silent auction items ALWAYS does a great job.  We couldn’t wait to see what was in store for us this time. So we grabbed a bottle of cold water and, first thing, headed for the auction tables. 

Sebastian Pons guards a very valuable commodity — cold bottled water!

No disappointment here!  Laid out on tables with bid sheets in front of each item, auction choices ranged from vacations to jewelry and lots of stuff in between. The ladies in charge directed us to what they thought were the prime takeaways of the evening.

Bethany Obanion, Jenna Estep, and Melissa Tyler directed us to the must-have Silent Auction items!

Rabbi Alon Ferency and his wife Karen take a look at the items for sale.

Here are a few of our favorite for-sale items:

Studio Pottery Pitcher & Bowl by Paul Borian

Autographed ball by Cuonzo Martin, UT Men’s Basketball Coach

Tommie Rush Vase from Bennett Galleries

Vacation package from Wilderness Resort in the Smokies

And my favorite: Cornhole Boards with Red Cross logo

The Food. In the same room with the biddable stuff were tables set with hors d’oeuvres, fruit, and other temptations.  Cyndee Hensley, Knoxville Chapter American Red Cross administrative assistant, was awhirl talking to guests and filling her plate with good stuff.

Cyndee Hensley sampling from the buffet table inside

Randy Bellew who works for Knology volunteered his time to man the crepes table.  As it turns out, he’s a man with talent:  good at pouring batter, waiting ’til the right minute to lift the crepes, and adding peach or chocolate filling. Yum!  Of course, I had to try one of each!

Volunteer Randy Bellew creating fresh peach and chocolate crepes

Frank Snyder, Joyce Duncan, and Stuart Sullins rest near the inside buffet tables where it’s air conditioned!

Outside, the heartier fare was equally good.  Michael Janke, volunteer chef for the evening, wowed us with flank steak he had marinated for two days. He grilled it right before our very eyes (in the heat, no less) and placed thin slices atop artisan bread.  Platters cleared out quickly!

Michael Janke grilling marinated flank steak

The Music. Keeping everyone movin’ and groovin’ were the Chillbillies, one of the hottest (pun intended) bands in Knoxville for big, crowd-pleasing events.  Their mix of oldies, sing-alongs, and just fun tunes made everyone move front and center, under the tent, for good times together. And yes, that’s Knox County Juvenile Court Judge Tim Irwin (aka Vocalist) singing with the Chillbillies!

Judge Tim Irwin and the Chillbillies

Joyce Duncan, Amber Willis, Lisa Janke, Angela Shankle, and Laurie Hallenberg take a break from dancing to pose for pictures

The Guests. Part of the reason for attending any benefit is not just the good feeling you get for supporting a worthy cause — it’s also the fun of meeting people and finding out who shares a common interest.  We loved talking with the guests– even in the heat!

The Buckinghams – John, daughter Lisa, and Kathy, Knoxville Area Red Cross Board Chair

Alex Martin, Erin Hill, Joe Daniels-Mulholland, and Kim Weaver enjoying good times!

Proud of the turnout — Lori Marsh, Development Director, and Boyd Romines, Executive Director

Robin Broyles and Board Member Tammy White cooling off for a minute!

West High teachers Sarah Searles and Karen Stanish assisting with the collection.

Art James, wife Linda, and mother Ann say they’ve bid on A LOT!

Bert enjoys talking with Tennessee Senator Becky Duncan Massey

The Cause. So, all in all, Red, White and Rock was a hit: a quality silent auction, a little dancin’ with the Chillbillies, and a chance to give to a great cause.  Thanks, Red Cross, for all you do to improve the lives of others — and for giving us a reason to celebrate, donate, and act a little crazy ourselves!

That’s us living the dream of being surfer dudes!

Later, I spoke with Lori Marsh about the event. It was a fun night to put in a some sweat equity, for sure, she told me.

And then she added, We raised over $31,000 for the American Red Cross!

Sometimes a little heat brings out the best in all of us!

If you’re interested in more information about the Knoxville Area Chapter of the American Red Cross, click here.

And if you really want to do something special, be a volunteer!  You can learn a lot while doing a lot!  http://www.knoxarc.org/volunteer/becomeavolunteer

Knoxville Area Chapter of the American Red Cross

6921 Middlebrook Pike

Knoxville, TN 37909

865.584.2999

info@knoxarc.org

The Fountain City Art Center – about a block past the Duck Pond on Hotel Avenue in Knoxville– opened its doors, too, so visitors could take a closer look at some of the Art Guild members at work!

My husband and I found artists standing at easels, paintbrushes in hand — backing up then leaning in — squinting at art in progress.  Others sat with palettes beside them — dabbing, mixing, wiping  —  blending pigments for just the right shade.

Aurora Bull was touching up a painting of yellow flowers begun some time ago to breathe new life into it. 

Her website showcases a range of abilities and subjects — landscapes, portraits, florals, and figures — all fashioned with a precise hand and rendered in oils.  Like this one titled Adoration.  (One of the artists whispered to us that Aurora teaches others. She’s good, the fellow artist said. We agreed!)

Sylvia Williams, too, was revisiting a painting she had begun for a friend.

Although the wedding date has come and gone, she still wants to honor the bride in her fashionable gown with a portrait contrasted by a deep, almost-navy background.

Penny Berridge used a tool I have in my garage — a plain ol’ 2-inch brush — to cast wide strokes for an amber sunset. (It works!)

A birdhouse got Sue Lane’s attention — and there were plenty more just around the partition in the Center!

Soft colors comprised the work of Mary Wilbourn — suitable for songbirds and dogwood notecards.

Sarah Weber dabbed shades of brown to make river rocks come to life.  While we were there, she helped Mother Nature along by adding one more rock in the lower left corner — a solid base for a mountain stream.

Trays of paints took on a life of their own for Christine Harness who told me she had named a tray Anne Abbott.  Anne Abbott? I asked.  Isn’t she a teacher at Fulton?

Christine later commented, My trays are named after people I know and admire. Anne Abbott is a national artist that has workshops.  I did her workshop with the Tellico Village art guild.

The Anne Abbott I know is creative, too — an English teacher I admire! We admired Christine — for attending to the detail of a finely cut water goblet — larger than life. And glistening!

We loved the fanciful, almost childlike quality of Doris Prichard’s framed piece submitted for the Members Show . . .

and we liked Doris, too — a little fanciful herself!

These AMAZING hand-crafted books by Bob Meadows caused us to do a double-take. . .

not just for the cut-outs, torn paper edges, and bindings . . . but also for the poetic passages that drew us right in.

Although Fay Piquet wasn’t painting with her fellow artists on the day of the DeTour, we couldn’t resist snapping a picture of her award-winning watercolor, Coneflower.

And my had-to-have little takeaway: Emie Sue – a carefully, colorfully brush-stroked cow by Sarah B. Weber!

Treasures lie in wait at the Fountain City Art Center. So, we’ll be back! 

Just as we hope you’ll return to Oh the Places We See for our last two Art DeTours! Oh, what Knoxville artists can do!

Fountain City Art Center, Inc.

213 Hotel Avenue

Knoxville, TN 37918

865.357.2787

At that point, she handed me this card that stayed on my fridge ’til I could see Lisa, the maker of this hand-built flower holder or whatever you call this piece (a vase?), once again — at the Dogwood Art DeTour. 

And the best thing to look forward to? More artists joining her at her own home! Su-weet!

We arrived at her home in West Knoxville only to see another of my favorite artists — Joe Parrott — and his wife Nancy.  Joe’s latest scenes of Knoxville are nothing less than classic , so I was glad to see someone with good taste haunting the same artsy places my friend Pat Medley and I had chosen from the vast selection of open venues for Art DeTour.

We met Roger Luebke, premiere woodworker, who, surprisingly enough, had taught algebra to Mark Medley, Pat’s husband, at Holston High years ago!

It’s one thing to look at a rough piece of wood — just turned but not rubbed . . .

but when you touch a finished bowl, you feel that smooth, natural surface brought to life by an artist. And Roger is an artist.

Then you become sort of a wooden bowl snob, turning it over to see the tree origin, asking questions about the form, the wormy holes, or whatever makes the piece unique. And we grilled Roger on this one, the one we loved best — form meets function meets art!

Robbie Gentry, glass bead jewelry artist, set up on the porch.  She displayed her finished pieces — necklaces, bracelets, one-of-a-kind creations . . .

but she also demonstrated her craft, letting sparks fly as they may while she formed one bead — smooth, bumpy, or bubbly — at a time.

Lynnda Tenpenny, also on Lisa’s porch, let us look closely at her displays: mixed media collages, both framed and under construction. She showed us how she selects, places, and tears, if need be, pieces of hand-made paper, interesting scraps, string or what-have-you.

Her website showcases paintings, too, like On the Way to the Sea which won 1st place in the Smoky Mountain Anniversary Exhibit.

But, of course, I had to find Lisa, and there she was . . . in the garage with her friend Dana Barnes (on left) talking about Terra Madre – Women in Clay, a local group of women potters.

Another visitor, Candy Finley-Brooks, perked up at our discussion because she’s in Terra Madre, too.  I had just recently visited their exhibit at Blount Mansion, so I could add my enthusiastic comments to theirs about the work of these women who create art– like that drippy brown piece Lisa made that I dearly love!

For today’s Art DeTour, Lisa had wall pockets . . .

bowls decorated with random flings of glaze (well, they were sort of planned!) . . .

and hand-build tea pots with an Oriental flair.

Google Lisa Kurtz Highland Pottery, and you’ll find that this talented potter has inspired her whole family to be involved in art in some way. You just might see her at the Art Market Gallery in downtown Knoxville where she does some of the scheduling!

Oh, these Knoxville artists — creative, hard-working, personable! No wonder the Dogwood Arts Festival is right here!

What do you think?  Have you got a favorite artist from Knoxville?  Or somewhere else?  Let me know.  There are soooo many more places we need to see!

Lisa Kurtz

Highland Pottery

9193 Hemingway Grove Circle

Knoxville, TN 37922

865.216.8650

www.LKHighlandPottery.com

We arrived at the Tennessee Terrace at Neyland Stadium on Friday, April 27, greeted by volunteers wearing pink and green signature t-shirts. 

Immediately someone asked us to sign up for the door prizes. Sweet Pea Gift and Garden Shop had planted a Salad Box — a painted container filled with colorful, edible salad greens with a sign that read “Be Strong, Be Calm.”

The other prize — a pair of Aucara pearl earrings donated by Jewelry Television – was showcased in a handpainted keepsake box by Christina Patterson Winter.

And then we turned to the walls lined with Silent Auction offerings — about 50 pieces of art fashioned from thrift store furniture, twigs, seashells, banisters, boxes, trinkets, and — well, you name it. It was cast-off furniture transformed into glamorous, fancifulobjets de art! 

We headed over to thank Morena Constantinou and her husband Constantine for inviting us, and then stopped to see what she had created for the sale. 

The first to catch my eye was a large (almost 2 x 3 foot) mirror adorned mainly with oyster shells Morena had gathered herself.

Morena had also turned a whimsical birdcage into a floor lamp complete with artsy birds and a filament light bulb!

Our favorite, though, had to be what Morena named Journey Unknown, a lamp whose shade was totally composed of Kodak slides!  (We told her we had the makings of a roomful of lamps if she used our old Europe slides taken in the 70s!)

Other local artists offered choice pieces.  Like My Little Chickadee by Marcia Hickerson! On the accompanying card: “whimsical iron bird perched on unique wire nest atop a mercury glass drawer pull giving it a touch of glam — could be used as door stop or mantel or coffee table accessory!”  

Bobbie Crews whose work can be seen downtown at The Emporium donated Back to the Beach, two painted bar stools reminiscent of ocean waves, sea oats, and happy times!

Ashley Hahn fashioned Who Has Your Number? using sculpting clay and acrylic paints to transform this mirror to an all-white work of art.  The card said “reflects the artist’s lifelong proclivity to create works which mirror nature as well as the intricacies of human relationships.” And someone must have loved it a lot . . . the last bid I saw was $1,000!

Bearden High art teacher Flowerree Galetovic entered chairs painted by her Honors Art Students.  Van Gogh would have loved this one called Starry Night!

 We bid and re-bid enough throughout the evening to take home this painted chair — a take-off of Edward Munch’s The Scream for our son Scott’s birthday present! (Scott was a former student of Flowerree‘s!) We’ve since read that the original painting The Scream sold at Sotheby’s for $119,000,000 — considerably more than we paid for the chair!

A team from Salon Visage created So New York, generating lots of interest judging by the groups of people passing and pointing! Having fun at ARTique were some of the Salon Visage team: Dustin Stewart, Claudia Caves, Co-Owner Frank Gambuzza, and Jared Holyfield.

Paige Trout and Salon Visage Co-Owner, Belinda Gambuzza, were also admiring the art!

Tony Carilli (Rothchild’s Catering) took a closer look at this wardrobe called Organization Station by Rebecca Clark emellished with paint, decorative hooks, and a fabric front.

And, like Tony, a lot of people stopped to read the quote from Walt Disney painted inside the door.

Lauren Ramsey and Grace Loy who work for the Cancer Center said they liked all the creative designs of the artists on what could have been called junk beforehand!

John and Kathy Buckingham said they liked the food AND the art pieces.

Longtime patrons of the arts, Jeff and Vicki Chapman, were on hand to support the cause.

And so were Ron and Connie Hutchins.  Connie has attended every ARTitude even when The Cancer Support Community was called The Wellness Center.

I was able to slow down John Clark, Beth Hamil (Executive Director), and Robert Cathey (Chairman of the Cancer Support Community Board) long enough for a picture.

Later, Robert’s family (except for the oldest daughter Ella who was rehearsing for her performance at the Rossini Festival the following day) gave me happy smiles all around: Amy, Meg, Anna Grace, and Robert.

Bert was happy to pose with Kerry Howland, Development Director for the Cancer Support Community.

Later, we both squeezed into a picture with Rhonda and John Clark, friends we’ve known since Bert’s days at UT.  Of course, I had to catch up on what was happening with the Clarks’ sons, Chip and Andrew, former students of mine at Bearden High!

From the beautiful white hydrangea and pink tulip arrangements . . .

 to the bountiful food from many generous vendors . . .

to the service with a smile delivered by The Pour Guys . . .

to the interesting artwork like The Prince and the Frog by Gwendy Kerney admired by Kate Apking (who just had to have it!) and her mother-in-law Barbara . . .

we’d have to say that ARTitude was a hit!  Thanks, Karen McKinney (Chair of ARTitude and Board Member) and your team, for good times and a good cause!

And now, for my favorite piece that I posted at the top:  this rustic twig table, Handmade in Townsend, by Wade Richardson!

 Click here for more information on the Cancer Support Community of East Tennessee!