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“Celebrity” artist Mike Sjolund of Marquette looks at his “Casked Away” art piece during Thursday’s Celebrity Art Auction at the Upper Peninsula Children’s Museum. Items such as a strolling champagne table and Upper Peninsula-themed coat rack were up for auction at the fundraiser. (Journal photo by Christie Mastric)
MARQUETTE — You didn’t have to be an Andy Warhol or Leonardo da Vinci to have your art appreciated on Thursday night at the Upper Peninsula Children’s Museum.
The annual Celebrity Art Auction fundraiser featured original works by some of the community’s “most unexpected artists” who are known more for other endeavors and professions.
“The purpose of it is to raise money for the children’s museum,” UPCM Executive Director Jessica Hanley said. “It goes into our general fund. We use it for everyday things — keeping our lights on, paying our staff, the average stuff. It’s nothing fancy or anything special.
“The ‘bones’ is sometime the hardest to raise money for.”
Visitors also could bid on gift baskets and, of course, tour the museum’s unique exhibits.
Hanley, who is in her first year as executive director after succeeding the longtime director and founder Nheena Weyer Ittner, said the “celebrities” donated items ranging from art pieces to actual experiences, which then are auctioned.
“It’s just a very fun event where everyone gets to come together and have some drinks and get some snacks and see each other, and we get to bid on some art for a really good cause,” Hanley said.
This year marked the 19th auction, with the first event raising about $6,000, she noted. Now the auction has raised between $15,000 and $20,000, and even $25,000 in some years.
Hanley’s goal is to “beat them all this year.”
The UPCM also has launched an online auction of experiences for youngsters, such as riding a fire truck to school, four seats for the Green Bay Packers-Los Angeles Rams football game and a Zamboni ride.
The auction ends at 11:45 p.m. Dec. 14. Visit https://upchildrensmuseum.org/events for details.
The artist lineup this year included Josh Bal and Ross Anthony, Crumbly Butler, Bobby Glenn Brown, Patrick Callahan, Mark Canale, Mark and T. Hamari, Carly and Vic Harrington, Incredible Bank alumni, Stephanie Jones, Nicole Lasich, Mike Mering, Connie Fries and Eric Froberg, Danielle Carol Photography, Wes and Andrea Pernsteiner, Dan Pemble, Mike Sjolund, Sonia Stucko, Jim Koski, Liz Grill and VAST alumni.
Sjolund, for example, created a wine rack called “Casked Away.”
The name is aptly descriptive since he created it from a cask that had been thrown away.
“I always try to make something that’s going to be something of value that people will bid for,” he said. “It’s for the kids.”
And, as Sjolund pointed out, “very practical.”
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