Are you sitting down for this news? Really? What are you sitting on? Does a great work of art adorn your chair? Was it lovingly painted by little hands? If not, you need to check out the Chairs That Care Auction coming up on Saturday, June 7, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. at Lincoln Elementary School. At the auction, over 45 unique, colorful, hand-painted chairs will be available for bidding!

Under the guidance of Maureen Marshall, 2nd and 3rd grade students from the Discovery program at Lincoln School have been studying famous artists throughout the year. Renoir, Picasso, Cassat, Monet and so many of the masters have been the focus of these children. From their biographies, the kids were able to learn interesting tidbits including the artists’ hometowns, their favorite subjects and mediums and even other artists with whom they may have been friends.

When it came time to choose which work of art they were going to replicate for their chairs, the students were thrilled with the possibilities. Second grader, Carter Gamez, who chose to paint a Georgia O’Keefe, said, “I liked the way she drew the pictures, especially the colors.” A famous piece by Matisse was Saige Rook’s choice. She reported that she “really liked the content and the colors that he combined.”

These one-of-kind chairs are so special on their own, but what really sets this event apart is that 100% of the proceeds raised from the auction directly benefit the Cleveland Food Bank. The students are well aware that many Clevelanders go hungry every day, and they want to make a difference. Over the course of the last four years, kids in Mrs. Marshall’s classes have managed to donate over $18,000 to the Food Bank with similar auctions.

Of the auction, Mrs. Marshall simply smiles and says, “I am so amazed at what their little hands can do, and how quickly they catch onto the styles of the artist. Most of all I am so proud of how much of themselves they put into this project, and how eager they are to do something that helps others. “Knowing that fewer people will go hungry because of our efforts, makes it all worthwhile.”

Another green point is that many of the chairs, which are now beautiful treasures, were likely, at one time, someone’s trash. Quite a few were retrieved from local tree lawns, saving them from landfills. So don’t just SIT there, make a plan to attend the Chairs That Care Auction on June 7th. We’ll save you a seat!