2008 Candlelight Dinner & Bench Auction
Hand-Crafted, Artist-Decorated Benches Featured at 2008 Candlelight Dinner & Bench Auction
BELLEVUE, Wash. (Nov. 5, 2008) – The 2008 Candlelight Dinner & Bench Auction – Sitting Pretty For PACE, held Nov. 1st at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue, was a complete sell out with nearly 400 guests in attendance. The event raised $450,000 for Performing Arts Center Eastside (PACE).
Sitting Pretty For PACE was created by PACE's Act One Guild, a group of 44 women who, since 2003, have dedicated themselves to raising money and promoting the future 2,000-seat Bellevue performing arts facility. The Candlelight Dinner is their signature event and it has become an Eastside favorite for those who enjoy the glamour and glitz of a black-tie evening. Every other year, the Guild holds the Dinner with an auction that showcases local artists with a special twist. On alternate years they hold a dinner and dance. Collectively, the four previous gala events raised more than $1.3 million for PACE.
The "stars of the evening" were the 43 artist-decorated Benches created for this event by 27 prominent Northwest Artists. Prior to the auction, the Benches were on display to the public for two weeks at the Bellevue Arts Museum (BAM) and nearly a month at Bellevue Square and Lincoln Square.
The majority of the funds raised at the event were through ticket sales, table sponsorships, and the auctioning of the benches, but a significant portion, $150,000, was also raised during the Raise-The-Paddle to jumpstart the PACE Endowment. The goal is to have a $10 million fully-funded Operations Endowment at the conclusion of the Campaign For PACE - the $160 million capital and endowment campaign. Patty Edwards, a prominent Eastside resident and generous patron of both the visual and performing arts, contributed a $50,000 challenge gift to kick-off the Raise-The-Paddle with Ms. Edwards offering to match $1 for $1 the first $50,000 in donations to the PACE Endowment. The challenge gift is the second gift of $50,000 made by Ms. Edwards since 2007. The first was made at her Party of PACE that she hosted at her Clyde Hill home to share her enthusiasm for the project with friends.
When asked why she has donated to PACE, Patty said, "I love the arts and PACE is truly needed on the Eastside. I'm very involved with several arts organizations, and especially enjoy attending the Pacific Northwest Ballet and the Seattle Opera. I look forward to the day when fans of both the Ballet and Opera will have a choice to see their companies and hundreds of other legendary and emerging artists perform at PACE on the Eastside."
"This year's event was truly spectacular," says Suzanne Hutchinson, director of guilds for PACE. "The benches were a marvelous representation of the talented artists we have in our region. These one-of-a-kind items are symbols of the hope we have for the performances and experiences that Puget Sound residents will enjoy at PACE; experiences that are remembered for the rest of one's life."
"We simply cannot adequately express our gratitude to these incredible women of the Act One Guild who have worked to make this annual event such a success," says John Haynes, executive director and CEO of PACE. "Act One Guild President Trish Carpenter, and 2008 Candlelight Dinner & Bench Auction Co-Chairs Karen Dunn and Janis Wold have done a spectacular job of spearheading this project."
About the Benches/Artists:
After an extensive search and review process, 27 Northwest artists were selected to transform 29 large benches which are five feet long and 14 small benches which are three feet long into unique works of art. The benches are each handcrafted out of yellow cedar and iron by Rainchild Metal Works located on Camano Island, Wash.