Sellout Splash Event Exceeds Fundraising Goal

The grossed more than $17,000 at its April 9 Splash event, exceeding its fundraising goal for the evening while advancing its aim to establish itself as a cultural center for the community.

With about 200 people attending the evening of wine, hors d’oeuvres, music and art, the art exhibition and silent auction was a sellout and some art lovers had to be turned away at the door.

“Everyone had a fantastic time and enjoyed the art in this setting,” said Sue Loiland, the museum’s development director. She pointed to the strong bidding on all of the silent auction pieces as another indicator of the evening’s success.

On display were the paintings, glasswork, sculptures and jewelry of local and regional artists. They included such established names as Vaughn artist Kurt Solmssen, whose paintings of Puget Sound have been shown throughout the U.S. Also represented were newcomers like John Wright, a beneficiary of the non-profit Hilltop Artists program in Tacoma, which teaches the art of glassmaking to low-income youth.

The centerpiece of the event, however, was the glimpse it offered into the creative process at work. Christopher Mathie and Sam Weis treated attendees to a high-energy showing of their brand of performance art.

As Mathie painted great blue herons at rest and in flight, Weis strummed her guitar and sang. Mathie said working together was inspirational, with each of them drawing artistic energy from the other.

“Being able to perform with her in public is a real treat,” he added.

The first Splash art event made its debut in May 2010, prior to the grand opening of the history museum this past September. The program is part of its efforts to provide more than history to Gig Harbor residents.

“The community came together to build this facility and we want to meet the needs of the community,” said Executive Director Jennifer Kilmer.

She called this month’s Splash a kind of post-opening “coming out” for the museum as a place to support the arts.

“We want people to know that this is a role we want to play in the community,” she said. “I think this event communicated that.”

Mathie’s performance pieces as well as the other Splash artwork displayed in the lobby will continue to be for sale until the end of April. Proceeds from any of these sales, as with all funds netted from the Splash event, will be split between the museum and the artists.