Valley verve: Chair-ity auction will help Valley Meals on Wheels

More than a dozen area artists have been asked to step out of their comfort zone by painting wooden chairs for this year’s Chair-ity Auction to benefit Spokane Valley Meals on Wheels. Without design restrictions, the artists went to town on their functional “canvasses.”

Pam Almeida, executive director for Meals on Wheels, came up with the idea after surfing the Internet. She began calling area artists and found that they were happy to oblige.

“Pam called me to see if I thought there would be many artists interested in this project,” said local artist Anne Sherrodd, “All of the artists I talked with were eager to help Meals on Wheels even though most of them had not done much decorative painting on wood.”

Sherrodd found that painting on a chair was different than her usual watercolor landscapes and florals. “I made mine simple and childlike on a child’s chair. It was a fun challenge. Learning new things helps keep our minds young,” she said.

Veteran artist Betty Jo Cook also did a child’s chair. “Children love color and colorful it will be.” The theme became “Circus Time” with bright colors, clowns, hearts, daisies and lots of polka dots. “I painted with acrylic medium which is newer to me as I am a watercolorist and the challenge was on,” she said.

Painter Sheila Peters settled on a “Sam Spade” or “Guy Noir” kind of theme. “Instead of focusing on the P.I., I focused on paying homage to the shady ladies or damsels in distress,” she said.

She calls the chair “Gal Noir.” “Hopefully my chair will add a note of fun to any area it is placed,” she said. “The style is flat, bold colors and shapes, almost comic book. I have enjoyed painting it.”

Artist Benita Papadakes had recently done birdhouses and flowers in an art class. “I liked the composition and thought it would work well on the chair,” she said.

Other artists involved in the project include members of Spokane Decorative Painters and Anna Rector, Ellen Sevier, Sarah Howard, Ginger Edmonds, Diana Shimuzu, Melissa Parker, Gretchen Paukert and Karen Harwood.

The chairs will be displayed in the Valley Mall through the end of October and then in area businesses until the auction, scheduled at a Holiday Ball Nov. 30 at CenterPlace.

Along with the auction, there will be a silent auction, a catered dinner and dancing to the Rhythm Method. The emcees for the evening will be Dave Cotton and George Maupin. All proceeds will provide meals for seniors.

Last year, the organization delivered 80,000 meals to homebound elderly and disabled. For more than a third of the people served, it is their only meal of the day. The visits also help them stay connected to their community.