Among the treasures you’ll find at the upcoming sale are beaded purses, ikat scarves, handmade carved spoons, terra cotta Ganesh figures, and a wide assortment of jewelry.
On Sunday, September 7, Fairfield artist Pam Whitworth will curate a fundraising sale of stunning art and objects she has gathered from around the world to benefit ICON Gallery.
ICON has struggled to meet the financial challenges inherent in the wide range of services it has pioneered. “ICON adds immeasurably to our quality of life in Fairfield,” says Pam. “It provides culture, quality art education, and a gallery worthy of any big city. This non-profit gives so much to our community that I just want to give something back."
The Aid for Icon sale will be an opportunity to shop, drink chai tea, and support Bill Teeple’s ICON Gallery. There will be artisan treasures and bargains from Chile, China, Peru, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Tibet, Nepal, Burma, Vietnam, Japan, Mongolia, Brazil, Mexico, India, Thailand, and the Georgian Republic. Expect to find a wide selection of items under $20 as well as rare and exquisite “master craftsman” objects priced up to $350: wool rugs, miniature paintings, handwoven silk and ikat scarves, charming folk toys, embroidered bags, woodblock prints, jewelry, shawls, felted wool, paper and stationary, ceramics, books, handmade textiles and appliqué, bamboo, earrings handwoven from fine horsehair, cool household items, unusual art supplies, and other gift items too numerous to mention.
“Pam has a compassionate heart…and lucky for us, an amazing aesthetic!" says ICON supporter Donna Colby. "Her eye is her gift. You will want to buy every piece that she has gathered from exotic spots around the world.”
The Aid For ICON sale will also feature a select number of higher-end items by master craftsmen that will be labeled “Aid To Global Artisans.” Your purchase of these fine traditional crafts will not only benefit ICON Gallery but will also support the artisans and their communities, most of which are in poor and rural areas of the world.
“I recently found a family of silk weavers in Uzbekistan who are preserving the craft of handwoven ikat,” says Pam. “I had only seen these gorgeous pieces before in books of antique textiles. What a joy to meet Rasiljon and buy his scarves to bring to Fairfield.”
Author and businesswoman Melanie Brown, who attended Pam’s last fundraising sale, says, “I’ve gotten so many compliments on the things I bought at Pam’s, both for myself and gifts. This is a testament to her incredible aesthetic and ability to glean the truly unique and beautiful: like looking through a hundred rugs in a Tibetan shop to find the two that are real treasures.”
Gather together in celebration of beauty and in support of the arts in Fairfield and our fellow artists around the world on Sunday, September 7, 2008, 11 a.m. –5 p.m., at the home of Pam Whitworth and Jon Lipman, 1760 Observatory Drive. For more information, call 641-472-8955. And don’t forget to watch for Pam’s upcoming pre-Christmas Fundraiser in late November to benefit the schoolchildren she supports in Nepal.
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