Gala Yields Art Treasures

The Levi Coe Library looked like anything but a library on Saturday evening. Candles lit the walkways leading to the main door and white lights, shrouded in tulle, gave an air of elegance throughout the 'gallery'.

Book shelves were draped in velvet and black cloth, as hundreds of pieces of art work were on display for the annual Homeschoolers Art Gala, hosted by the Valley Central Homeschool Association.

Keyboard players, fiddlers, guitar players, and storytellers entertained visitors throughout the building as they meandered through aisle after aisle of displayed works. The upper level was transformed into a café, complete with bistro sets and delicate desserts and coffee.

Each year, various forms of art is produced by homeschooled students of all ages and then sold at the gala. The money is used to purchase books for the children’s section of the library. The librarians work with the students to make selections of new books, accepting recommendations from the avid readers.

Not to be overlooked is the benefit to the students themselves. The event serves as a great confidence boost to the art protégés. The gala gives students an opportunity to produce a piece of work and have it displayed in a professional setting, giving a sense of pride to each creator.

Some drove from as far away as the New Haven area to attend the gala and attendees, many of which went home with several pieces to adorn homes and offices, were full of compliments. I was told by event receptionists that I had ‘just missed’ seeing one of Durham’s selectmen, who had purchased two pieces of my works done by my son.

Turnout at Saturday evening's gala was significantly lower than expected however, according to organizer Regina Allen, who has been an instrumental part of the annual fundraiser for the past seven years.

According to Allen, in years past, hundreds of people have filled the library turned art gallery, all vying to purchase art made by homeschoolers living in the state. “It is possible that many have stayed home to watch the UCONN men’s basketball game.”

This seems a likely explanation, as I did, in fact, hear several early arriving patrons exclaim that they “needed to get going, because it was time for the game to start!” 

As visitors arrived at the gallery to view the artwork and make purchases, they also engaged artists in a ‘meet and greet’ conversation about their works. This boosted the self-esteem of the student artists as they discussed the inspiration behind the works.

Click on our photo gallery to view some of the art on display. Because of the amount of work done by the students as well as the desire to raise more funds for the library, several pieces of work will remain on display and for sale at the Levi Coe Library this week.

The library is open Monday-Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturday from 10-2. Payments can be made to the service desk and all proceeds will be allocated for the children’s books.