Creating art is more than just self-expression for some local students. It’s a passion, one that they want to transform into a lifetime career and continual development of their art.
However, their dream of taking their education to the next level may seem impractical, especially when searching with cost in mind means they can’t set their hearts on just any school.
The Rotary Club of Kona Sunrise is providing an opportunity to those whose economic situation typically prevents them from accessing, learning, developing and growing in their creative endeavors. Through its second annual Chairs For Charity Art Scholarship Fundraiser, the club hopes to raise at least $6,000 for local high school seniors wanting to pursue an art major in college, said President Barbara Kossow.
More than 20 local artists from Kona, Holualoa, Waimea, Keaau, Hilo and Volcano have contributed their talents, creating one-of-a-kind works of arts. These items, which include chairs, tables, benches, TV dinner trays and surfboards, will be auctioned off live at the event, beginning at 5 p.m. Saturday at King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel. Eddie O from LAVA 105.3 is serving as the master of ceremonies and auctioneer, said Rotarian and event chairwoman Laura Kniffin.
The artists also gave original pieces and prints to the silent auction. The fundraiser is an opportunity for them to gain exposure and sell their work. Many of the contributors will be in attendance, interacting with prospective buyers, Kniffin said.
Last year’s event raised almost $3,000, and the winning bids ranged from $75 to $1,600, she added.
The idea for the event came from Kniffin’s involvement in a similar function in South Carolina more than a decade ago. There, she bought a chair featuring a painting by a well-known artist in the area for $200, which she still has today. That chair ultimately inspired her when The Rotary Club of Kona Sunrise was looking for another way to raise scholarships for local students, primarily those interested in the arts, she said.
“The jocks get their money through key athletic scholarships,” Kniffin said. “The nerds usually get all the merit aid and academic scholarships. But there’s not a whole lot for the art kids to help them prepare for futures as professional artists.”
Kona artist Tess Villegas-Rumley knew she had been blessed with a talent and gift as a girl. However, Villegas-Rumley said it wasn’t until she was 30 years old, unemployed and empty that she discovered she was actually full. It was then that she allowed herself to explore, unravel and let flow the richness of her “always alive and present creativity and imagination” through painting, photography and furniture making.
Villegas-Rumley, 47, did not hesitate in getting involved with the fundraiser. She believes strongly in nurturing children’s creativity, encouraging their artistic pursuits and empowering them to be great. She hopes attendees enjoy the bench, rocking chair and bamboo chair with a cardinal that she created, but more important to her is that they support the budding art talents in the community.
The inspiration for illustrator Esther Szegedy’s donated piece was her cat, Anela. Her feline friend climbed up on the chair and fell happily asleep in her Keaau home. On the chair’s seat is a whimsical snoozing cat while the back features two scarlet iiwi, Hawaiian honeycreepers, and a lehua blossom.
When Szegedy went to school, the art programs offered today did not exist. She said women were mostly encouraged to stay home and be housewives instead of pursue something they were passionate about. So she quit school at age 18 and became a self-taught artist, specializing in pastels and watercolors. She spent years learning from her mistakes.
Participating in this fundraiser was a way for Szegedy to give back and help give local students the chance to become artists within a university setting.
Exposing them to professional artists, quality instruction, different media, the art community, as well as the role of ideas, originality and hard work to go into works, are priceless and fulfilling opportunities. She hopes the scholarship recipients feel more confident and encouraged about the art the make, become good at it, and follow their passions — which is “a privilege.”
Students interested in applying for the club’s art scholarships, totaling $1,000, can contact a Rotarian via the club’s website, konasunriserotary.org, and should do so by early spring, Kossow said.
Heavy pupu and a cash bar will also be offered at Saturday’s event at the hotel’s luau grounds, Kossow said. Tickets, costing $48, are available at Kona Wine Market, Kailua Candy Co. and by calling Kniffin at 854-9075.
