by Joe Siegel/TRT Reporter
Art Beat, an art auction to benefit AIDS Care Ocean State, was held Friday, October 15 at the Providence Biltmore. The 14th Annual event emceed by drag queen Miss Kitty Litter and Mayor David Cicilline, featured works from several local artists. There were sculptures, pottery, and paintings depicting popular regional attractions.
The art presenters were La Diva Jonz and BB Hayes.
One of the featured items at the live auction was a Cocktail Party at the home of WPRI/Channel 12 news anchor Karen Adams. The winning bid was $1000.
Other items were a 3-day Provincetown Getaway, valued at $2000, and a South African Safari, valued at $4000.
One of the flashier works of art was “Crystal Domino”, by Steve Weinberg. The piece is the world’s largest crystal domino from a limited set of 49. The item, valued at $3000, was sold for $2700.
Weinberg is a two-time recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts grant and has been casting and cutting glass in his Rhode Island studio since 1979. His work is represented in the permanent collections of more than 50 major art museums around the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Musee Des Artes Decoratifs at Palais du Louvre in Paris, and the Smithsonian.
Other notable pieces were Theater by the Sea by Stephen Cook, Block Island Crossing by Christian Harder, Felix Diclo’s Organic – an oil on canvas piece which is part of a series depicting the changes of nature and the ocean through the contamination of our planet, A Wax Piece by Robert Rustermier, and Celestial Encounter in Teal by Charlie Hall.
There were several items available for bids on online and at the event’s silent auction, including Male Nude in Teak Wood, a teak wood male torso from Indonesia; The Hard Rock Cafe, a painting by Lara Sebastian; DPW Platter, made up of recycled road signs, by Boris Bally; Coastal Storm by David Anderson, Jasper in the Park by Mac MacDougall, Fallen Angel by Victor Gadino, and Goat Island Lighthouse by Joseph Realbuto. Realbuto is a photographer who lives on Cape Cod. His subject matter is lighthouses, beaches, sunrise and sunset shots, nature/flower shots, windmills, boats, and outdoor scenery.
Other notable works included Pulsar Platter by John Fazzino, Claudius Ceramic Bust, a six inch piece named for the Roman Emperor, a photograph titled Turks Head and Glass by David Dadekian, and a Neil Drobnis Original Work – a piece of glasswork called Triade. Drobnis is an acclaimed artist who has had his work exhibited at galleries and museums across the country, including the Rhode Island School of Design Museum and the Luniverre Gallery in Newport, Rhode Island.
All the proceeds from the auction will be donated for AIDS Care Ocean State’s programs and services.
The organization’s annual Mardi Gras fundraiser will be held on Saturday, March 12, 2011. Tickets are $75 in advance.
For more information about AIDS Care Ocean State, go to www.aidscareos.org.
