Editorial
Front Page - Friday, October 23, 2009
Chair Affair Auction to benefit teen abstinence programs
David Laprad
On Point aims to contribute to two good causes at its upcoming 4th Annual Chair Affair Auction: its youth outreach programs and the need for people to take a load off at the end of a long day.
The organization’s auction is scheduled to take place at Loose Cannon Studios on Rossville Avenue from 6 to 8 p.m. on Nov. 7. Those in attendance will be able to bid on hand-painted chairs created and donated by local artists.
“It’s a great event,” says Kathryn DeNovo, director of special events and communications for On Point. “We don’t give the artists any parameters. Some use paint, some use decoupage and some use fabric. One artist this year used photographs.”
In addition to chairs, artists at past Chair Affairs have donated footstools, benches and ottomans, giving guests a variety of furniture on which to bid.
“We’ll have children’s chairs, which are always cute, and chairs that are appropriate for your kitchen or living room,” DeNovo says. “We’ll also have some wild and one-of-a-kind chairs. Those are usually our most popular items.”
DeNovo calls the latter chairs “true pieces of art” and says they’re “less for sitting and more for admiring.”
Artists will be donating about 40 chairs to this year’s auction. Contributors include Aaron Cabeen, owner and master woodworker of Cabeen Originals; Janie Dawson, who does paintings for children; Tangerinas, which creates artwork and furniture from reclaimed materials; and more.
“We feel fortunate that many of the artists who donated chairs four years ago continue to look forward to the event and contribute new pieces,” says DeNovo.
Chair Affair will include a live and silent auction featuring the donated seating as well as paintings, professional photography and other works of art.
“Some of our artists didn’t want to make a chair but did want to donate a painting or a photograph,” DeNovo says.
Once On Point has collected all of the pieces, its staff will put together packages of items based on different themes, adding another element of fun to the auction. The Chair Affair team has already paired a colorful footstool with dinner for two at Taco Mamacitas and dubbed it “The Fiesta Package.”
Proceeds will benefit On Point’s youth outreach programs. The organization, originally called Why Know, began work in Hamilton County’s middle and high schools in 1991 with a focus on promoting abstinence.
“The number of teen pregnancies was growing and STD rates among young people were rising, so we started out as an abstinence education program,” says DeNovo. “But as we worked with teens and began to understand their needs better, we saw that a lot of risk behaviors are linked.”
Today, On Point deals with abstinence, drug and alcohol abuse, anger management and violence through two programs. One consists of a five-day curriculum in which staff members take over a physical education or health class for one week. The other, called Life On Point, involves weekly leadership classes tailored to the needs of the students. DeNovo says the latter program has yielded incredible results.
“About 900 students participated last year, and about 90 percent of them said they were abstinent.”
Currently, On Point is working with nearly all of the public and private middle and high schools in Hamilton County, as well as schools in five Georgia counties, allowing them to reach 13,000 students a year.
Artists contributing to On Point’s work say they are pleased to do so.
“One of the best things an artist can do is give away his or her work to a worthy organization,” says Cabeen. “I believe On Point is in the right place at the right time. They’re combining art and community into an event that will bring in the funds they need to continue their respected work of helping young people live a complete and deliberate life. I’m proud to be a contributing artist.”
“It’s a thrill to be able to do what we love, which is create art, and help On Point at the same time,” says Debbie Prater, co-owner of Tangerinas in the Coolidge Park area. “If the money generated by the auction of our chair helps to change the life of just one teen for the better, then we’ll be happy ladies!”
Tickets purchased in advance cost $25 per person and $40 per couple. At the door, they’ll cost $30 per person. To purchase tickets, call 423-899-9188 or visit livepoint.org, which is also offering a sneak peek at more of the chairs.
(On Point is aware Chair Affair is scheduled for the same evening as ClubLib, the Chattanooga Library’s signature fundraiser. Since both events will be taking place in the same general vicinity, DeNovo suggests attending both. ClubLib doesn’t begin until 7:30, giving Chair Affair guests plenty of time to secure a purchase before heading to the library.)
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