Editor’s note: This story originally was published in the September 2016 print edition of the Chronicle.
Art lovers who “Pull Up a Chair” next month will help support Flossmoor’s Sculpture Garden and other public art.
But they may also walk away with a work of art that’s a unique piece of furniture.
sculpture that inspired the
Pull Up a Chair event as a
fundraiser for the Flossmoor
Public Art Commission.
(Photo by Tom Houlihan/
H-F Chronicle)
The Flossmoor Public Art Commission is planning to auction off repurposed, decorated chairs at the fundraiser. Artwork by Governors State University students will also be for sale at the event.
Richard Bumstead, the commission chair, said he’s very excited about GSU students contributing to the fundraiser, which will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 8 at Wiley’s Grill, 800 Kedzie Ave. in Flossmoor.
“They do excellent work,” he said. “It’s a win-win situation for us, and for the students, too.”
Commission member Jeff Stevenson teaches art at GSU and has been helping his students prepare for the “Pull Up a Chair” event. Bumstead said several students are expected to provide chairs for the auction at the fundraiser.
Area artists are also expected to contribute chairs for the event.
Artists will receive a percentage of the final auction price for their chairs, with the bulk of the proceeds helping support public art in Flossmoor.
GSU students who sell artwork will receive the full amount from purchase prices for items other than chairs, Bumstead said.
The Public Art Commission must rely on donations to maintain the Flossmoor Sculpture Garden and lease new works of art. The public art program receives no tax money from the village. Bumstead said the village has been extremely supportive of the commission’s efforts but cannot financially support them.
Vera McQuown promote
the Pull Up a Chair event
at the Homewood Farmers
Market on Saturday. (Provided
photo by Jennifer Molski)
Plans for the fundraiser have been in the works for more than a year, Bumstead said.
“We’ve been batting around ideas for a long time,” he said. “We knew that we wanted to do something with chairs.”
“Minions,” one of the sculpture garden’s most popular installations, depicts one very tall chair surrounded by a group of smaller chairs. Bumstead said it is a much-loved piece and symbolizes Flossmoor as a diverse community where people work together toward common goals.
Besides the auction and art sale, the fundraiser will also include wine tasting and hors d’oeuvres.
Tickets for the event are $30 per person and are available at the door (check or cash), at the village hall (check, payable to Village of Flossmoor) or by searching for “Pull Up a Chair” at Eventbrite. The Eventbrite link will also be posted on the Public Art Commission’s website.
Interested persons can also purchase ads in a fundraiser program book and donate decorated chairs for the event. Further information on making those donations is available at the website.