Emma Coffey ~ Staff Writer
Lynchburg Beacon of Hope, a nonprofit organization, and the Lynchburg Art Club have partnered together for an event known as the Art for Achievement.
According to the Lynchburg Art Club website, Art for Achievement will be held on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019 from 6:00- 9:00 p.m. at the Virginian Hotel.
Tickets are $50.00 but are at a reduced price of $35.00 for Lynchburg City School employees. Some of the art pieces from local artists that will be featured are Lisa Richards, Gerald Butler, and Pamela Winegard.
Director of Operations at the Beacon of Hope, Beth Joseph, said that the organization partnered with Lynchburg Art Club because an event such as this will, “change people’s future.”
According to Joseph, the event is an art auction that will help raise funds for their scholarship program. All of the proceeds from the auction will go to the scholarship program which started in fall of 2018. Joseph said that the scholarship is offered to students who have attended high schools in Lynchburg City Schools. The scholarship provides $8,000 to students to attend Central Virginia Community College (CVCC) or local colleges and universities, such as the University of Lynchburg, Randolph College, and several more.
According to Joseph, tickets can be purchased through the Beacon of Hope website, but they are going quickly. She shared that the event is expected to have 250-300 people attending the art auction. Joseph said this is the “largest local art auction ever in Lynchburg.”
The art auction will be divided into two separate live auctions and there will be 120 pieces featured, according to Joseph. Twenty pieces will be featured at a time in a mosaic display where people can walk around and view the art. There will also be live music and cocktails. The silent auction will then close at about 8:30 p.m., and the purchasers will be able to pay for their art pieces. Joseph said that one benefit of attending the art auction is viewing beautiful art. She also said another benefit for people to attend is, “by supporting a local organization that will forever change lives.”
Lynchburg Art Club Treasurer, Lisa Richards, has been with the club for thirty years and serves on the committee that organized the Art for Achievement event. According to her, this is the first event they have done with Beacon of Hope. Richards said the purpose of the event is to, “help the children of Lynchburg and entice them to stay in Lynchburg to keep them and keep their skills for weaving.”
According to Richards, the community can benefit from this event because it gets out the name for Beacon of Hope. She said that the art club has never given art before and this is the first time. All of the art pieces were donated and not all of the art came from the Lynchburg Art Club. Some of the pieces came from college and high school students as well.
Richards said the idea of Art for Achievement started at a garden club meeting in September of 2018. According to Richards, she mentioned this idea to her friend who works with Beacon of Hope. They had their first meeting in January, and she said, “the ball started rolling from there.”
Richards said, “I’ve always believed in education.”
According to Richards, “It’s been wonderful,” working with Beacon of Hope. She shared that everyone does what they say they will do and that there will be much to do on Saturday night.
For more information about Art for Achievement go on https://lynchburgartclub.org/art-for-achievement/.