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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Valley verve: Funds raised at auction to be used to purchase bronze sculpture


Some of the 60 works that will be auctioned at the Artist Showcase, Quick Draw and Auction next Saturday  include, clockwise from lower left,
Jennifer Larue Correspondent

Next Saturday at 5 p.m., the Great Room in CenterPlace at Mirabeau Park will be bubbling with wine, music, hors d’oeuvres, and creative energy. The event, a quick-draw demonstration and auction, is the first of its kind for the city of Spokane Valley, and will take place during Valleyfest, which is in its 18th year. The Spokane Valley Arts Council was asked to arrange a major art component this year and they were happy to help.

“Some people say that the arts community here is a desert; people are going out of town to buy art. This event needs to happen here,” said Jim Harken, SVAC president. “Exposure to and awareness of the arts is how it starts.”

The main purpose of the event is to raise money to buy a monumental size bronze sculpture for the city.

Opera singer Beverly Sills (1929-2007) once said that “Art is the signature of civilizations” and it is the goal of SVAC to create a signature for Spokane Valley with art.

Harken, a Spokane Valley dentist, is a huge patron of the arts. He owns a collection worthy of fine galleries and museums. He has been instrumental in the gathering of artists for the quick-draw demonstrations and auction. About 30 artists are involved, 18 of whom will be demonstrating their talents from 5 to 7 p.m. when they will be working on art that will be included in the auction. The auction will begin at 7:15 p.m. when Jeff Owens, of Owens Auction Co., will take the podium.

Harken is also donating from his collection a bronze sculpture, a wood sculpture and an oil painting worth more than $14,000 for a raffle.

More than 60 original works of art will be auctioned. The artists are all established and come from Washington, Montana, Oregon, Idaho, Calgary and Maine. The latter is SC Schoneberg, a veteran artist whose work is filled with all the mysteries of life exaggerated and somehow explained with expression, color and shape.

Harken owns many pieces by Schoneberg, 80, and chose him as the headlining artist for the affair because of his talent and name in the world of art. Schoneberg has studied with the best in California, New York, Mexico, and Paris. He works in many mediums including oils and frescos on paper, canvas, and plaster. He has had exhibits all over the world and has been in many publications. His work is displayed in museums and he has done commissions for well-known public figures.

Schoneberg began drawing at 7 and did his first mural while in the fifth grade. His history is full of artistic exploration. “The joy of being and creating is what it’s all about,” he said, “Creating … it’s a transparency for something higher. I’ve been gifted by God but I’ve worked hard.”

Schoneberg will have three pieces in the auction, one of which he will be completing during the quick draw. All of the artists involved will get a percentage of the sales.

“Too often artists are asked to donate their work which tends to become a hardship,” Harken said. “I want this to be a win/win event for all involved.”

Harken also wants the event to be a chance for Spokane Valley to come together and begin building an art presence for the people who live here, their children, and those who follow.