JACQUELINE DORMER / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Kathy Connelly, of Marlin, event committe member for the Schuylkill County Council for the Arts, shows a watercolor print of St. John the Baptist Church, of Pottsville, done by artist Howard N. Watson. The print will be part of the SCCA Silent Art Auction being held Saturday, Sept. 14.
BY BRIAN SMITH
The Schuylkill County Council for the Arts is cleaning out its attic.
On Saturday, Sept. 14, the nonprofit will hold a silent art auction at its headquarters at the Yuengling Mansion, 1440 Mahantongo St., putting paintings, drawings, pottery and other items on the block.
“Most of it was in storage on the third floor,” Kathy Connelly, SCAA member, said Wednesday.
While the SCAA hopes to make a buck, acting Executive Director Lisa Gillespie said the auction is mainly so the creations can fulfill their purpose.
“This is to raise money, but it also just to clear it out. There is so much being wasted,” she said. “The art should be hung. People should have art in their lives. It’s not doing anyone any good stuck up in the attic.”
Over the years, the organization has accumulated the works and, having limited space to display them, most are not appreciated. Among the works up for auction are works by former students of the Tyler School of Art and Architecture at Temple University. The students used to come to the city to paint and sketch, frequently depicting coal region scenery. Gillespie said she contacted the school for permission to sell the pieces left behind.
There are also works by local artists, including one by the late Dave Naydock, a Pottsville artist whose work gained widespread notice across the state.
There will 24 pieces of art in Saturday’s auction. Along with that, SCAA is auctioning 12 pieces of pottery and selling prints, unframed pieces, old maps, drawing, sketches and other things. Wine and cheese will be served as refreshments.
The art is on display at the mansion.
The auction will be held from 6 to 8:30 p.m., with bidding ending at 8 p.m. Small pieces will start at $50 and large ones at $100. Payment is expected at the time of purchase.
After the current batch is sold, about 100 items, future auctions are will be considered, Gillespie said
“I could do one more, if not two more, depending on how this one goes,” she said.
SCCA held an auction in May that raised about $600.
Contact the writer bsmith@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6005
