2020 MCF Chair-ity Auction

Beginning Wednesday, September 23, we'll be holding our Virtual Chair-ity Auction and Estate Sale Fundraiser. We asked local creative people to design, paint, weld, build, or sew a chair and donate it to the MCF to be auctioned off for our event. Check out the beautiful chairs below and click on any of the photos to learn more about the artist(s) and the inspiration behind each chair.

Online bidding for the Chair-ity Auction will begin Wednesday, September 23. Proceeds from the auction will be used for the operations of the MCF.

Click on a photo below to learn more about it…

Painted Chair-Planter…Sponsored by Alltrust Financial Management

Dorothy Ewald graciously volunteered again to paint a chair for her sister-in-law Melissa Arbisi and the rest of the team at Alltrust Financial Management. Dorothy is a graphic artist and owner of Ty-Comp in Peoria. Her degree in art gives her an advantage when design ideas are required. Designing logos, creating professional print media, and restoring photos are a few of the areas that she focuses on. She enjoys working with people who need help in creating the right look for their project, like ours.

The name of the chair is “Queen Bee”. It has a planter to signify growth and prosperity. Alltrust is proud to be a Morton based business and an Annual Support Partner of the Morton Community Foundation.

Chicago Cubs Adirondack Chair by Teresa Bassett

My name is Teresa Bassett. I’ve been married to my husband, John, for 40 years. Together, we have lived in Morton with our two chihuahuas, Max & Blue, for 12 years. We have two married children and eight awesome, beautiful grandchildren. My family is the most important part of my life. I love to travel...and create things.

I have many artistic hobbies such as crochet, drawing, cake & cookie decorating, and of course painting! As a young child, my brother, Tim, would sit and draw with me for hours. I've always loved art. I took graphic design, figure drawing, and various art courses in college, and have taught Jr. High art mini-courses. In April of 2016,

I led a couple of canvas painting parties to help my son with softball team fundraisers for Spoon River College where he coaches. I believe God put these fundraising events into my life to prepare the way for my future. A couple of months after the fundraisers, my 18- year-position as an executive assistant/office manager was eliminated. It was then that I decided painting parties would be a great way for me to use the gifts and talent God gave me, as well as help people and organizations raise money for good causes. Canvas Connections, based in Morton, began in 2016. I do not have a brick and mortar building – I’m mobile – doing parties in places like restaurants, churches, homes, bars, VFW’s and more.

It has been a blessing to meet the people I've come in contact with through painting and I LOVE what I do. My husband and son are the Cub fans in our family. I became interested in watching them play in 2016 when they won the World Series. I chose to paint my Cub-themed chair because I thought it would be popular and raise a good amount of money for the Morton Community Foundation Chair-ity Auction. Bid high and prove me right!

This chair is one of two Adirondack chairs that were built and donated for artists to use, by brothers Max and Sam Vlahos. Andy & Cindy Honegger paid for the materials for Max and Sam to use in building the chairs. The other chair built by these brothers is the Painted Mountain Scene Chair.

Cubs memorabilia included with this chair:

These additional items of Chicago Cubs memorabilia have been donated to the Chair-ity Auction by Jeff King, President of the Board of the Morton Community Foundation.

1. Jack Brickhouse - “Great Moments in Cubs Baseball

2. DVD - “This Old Cub…The Inspiring Story of Chicago Legend Ron Santo.”

3. Commemorative Plaque…National League 1984 Eastern Division Champion Chicago Cubs

“Reach for the Stars” Chair by Artist Amy Glass…Sponsored by Morton Youth Theatre

 Artist: Amy Glass
Organization: Morton Youth Theatre
Medium: Refinished secondhand chair, acrylic paint, lacquer finish

About the organization:  The Morton Youth Theatre program exists through the Morton Park District and is a summer program that allows theatre “for kids, by kids.”  It gives young people (ages 6-18 years old) the opportunity to participate in a full-scale musical production.  We offer opportunities for participants both on and backstage. I was heartbroken that we had to postpone the MYT program this last summer, until summer 2021.

About the chair: Inspired by my father-in-law’s recent series of night photography featuring the Milky Way, I wanted to create a work that was meaningful and incorporated the phrase, “reach for the stars,” a sentiment I say frequently to MYT participants.  Theatre, and our program, can be a safe place and has a strong feeling of family for our young participants and I wanted to paint something positive and enduring.  The chair itself was also obtained from a fellow cast mate

 “Sitting Station” Chair by Brad Grimm
Brad Grimm Automotive and Custom Paint

Featuring Brad Grimm Automotive & Custom Paints, another of our Chair-ity Auction Artists, who donated this beautifully restored elementary school desk & chair... 

“SITTING STATION” by Brad Grimm…beautifully restored elementary school desk & chair.

This is a place that can be wonderful and special. It’s for those who just want to “Be.”

 “Be” private, personal, emotional, spiritual, open, closed, or quiet. Sit…your choice.

 Sitting will reveal differences. Life can be beautiful and/or trying. Where you sit, you can draw strength and create.

Sit…bring back & remember; good, dream, create, strengthen and beautify.

A gift…”Sit!”

“Once a Patriot, Always a Patriot” Chair
by Artist and PTO Mom, Amy Jones

This chair was created with love from our students, staff, and PTO, to hopefully reminding everyone that, “Once a Patriot, Always a Patriot” at Jefferson Elementary School! 

We are so grateful to Morton Community Foundation for the support we continue to receive for our playground, classroom projects, and overall community spaces. This chair is a small way for us to say, “THANK YOU”!!

 “Ode to America’s National Parks” Chair
designed and constructed by Nancy & Dave Keimig in behalf of Sponsor: Morton Public Library

The Brown Luggage Chair was created by husband and wife team, David and Nancy Keimig; Nancy the design side, David the carpenter side. The theme is “Ode to America’s National Parks.” Reminiscent of a time when families; loaded up the kids in the station wagon, set the luggage on top, and headed out to view our Nation’s beauty. 

While looking for inspiration, Nancy spotted the piece of luggage in an antique store. She thought, “If that old piece of luggage could talk, what stories it could tell?”  That’s when the concept for “Ode to America’s National Parks” was born. 

The chair follows today’s trends of repurpose and buy local. After the luggage was gutted, a solid wood frame was build on the inside of the luggage with new foam and batting to create a comfortable seat. Nancy chose the 100 percent wool fabric-purchased from the Quilt Corner in the Field Shopping Center-because it reminded her of an old picnic blanket. The front legs are repurposed and the rear legs are custom made by Dave. The original plan was to decorate the back of the luggage with travel stickers from America’s National Parks. Instead, Nancy decided it would be much more special, for the person who purchases the chair, to add their own decals from the parks they’ve visited. Included with the chair are 62 National Park luggage stickers. The final touch is an accent pillow with the words, “Home Sweet Home.” Which of course, after every long trip, it’s always nice to be home…to start planning the next big trip!

The Morton Public Library is a wonderful resource for travel books and information about our nation’s National Park System. Stop by and check out what we’ve got.

Painted Chair, Tuffet, Quilt and Pillow
by Lori LeVar

I grew up in Morton where I met and married, Gary, my high school sweetheart. We have 3 married adult children and 7 grandchildren. My mom taught me to sew when I was in second grade. Over the years I have enjoyed many crafts including counted cross stitch, needlepoint, calligraphy, window treatments, Cricut projects, and my favorite… QUILTING. I can now add chair painting to my list.

Gary worked for Caterpillar which transferred us all over the world. Our journey started in 1984 taking us to Kuwait, Dubai, UAE, then Nashville, Tennessee, and back to Morton. 1995 we found ourselves in Tokyo for a 5-year stint, then on to the San Franciso area before moving back “home” to Morton in 2004.

As we travelled, I was fascinated with different cultures, and had a desire to give back. One of my favorite volunteer positions was telephone counselor for TELL (Tokyo English Lifeline). Other favorites include teaching Sunday School, teaching Brownie Girl Scouts, volunteering at Crittenton Center in the Crisis Nursery. Now my favorite thing is spending time with grandchildren! My passion for quilting is still strong. I have taught quilting classes for over 10 years and have made over 150 quilts for family, friends and donations. I’m involved with the Gems of the Prairie Quilt Guild in Peoria and the Blooming Normal Modern Quilt Guild.

This was my first attempt at making a Tuffet. It was challenging but with Gary’s help I was very happy with the final result. I plan to make one for our home.

Planter or Iced Drink Holder Chair
by Artist, Lynn Linder

This chair was painted entirely with spray paint by Artist, Lynn Linder.  It comes with the planter pot, watering can and garden sign as well as a galvanized bucket should anyone want to use it to keep drinks iced down. The seat has a lace pattern sprayed on it.

Solid Cherry Handcrafted Bench
by Dr. Dejan Maksimovic

I've always been tinkering on things since I was a child. I picked up woodworking as a hobby several years ago, but had a unique problem…a ton of logs and no idea what to do with them. When we built our home in Morton, we had to clear several large oak and cherry trees. I hired a local guy with a portable sawmill to help me turn the logs into lumber and the rest is history.

I started small with simple cutting boards, mallets, and have been expanding to desks, tables, benches, wine racks, etc. I typically donate or gift items I build. The act of giving someone a handmade product is pretty satisfying. My wife and I have already half-jokingly planned our retirement gig of having a bakery and woodcraft shop combo.

I built this solid cherry bench for the Morton Community Foundation’s Chair-ity Auction.  Hopefully it will bring some competitive bidding.

 Solid Walnut Handcrafted Architectural Chair by Father/Daughter Team, Bart and Amanda Ridings.

Father-Daughter team of Bart and Amanda Ridings collaborated using Amanda's Architecture skills and Bart's Woodworking talents to design and build a chair for the Chair-ity Auction. It is made of walnut with a natural finish. Bart has built a variety of furniture and home decor items. Amanda is currently working on her graduate degree in Architecture at Washington University in St. Louis. The drawings here are Amanda's concept drawings from her design work for this project. 

Reclaimed walnut chair with natural spar urethane finish; done as a father(builder)/daughter (designer) collaboration.  Bart is the lead builder at his wood working shop, Ridings Design Co.  Amanda is a grad school student at Washington University in Architecture. 

Whimsical, Colorful, Painted Chair
by Artist, Cynthia Walker

Bio: Moved to Morton in 1967 from Southern Indiana when I was going into the 3rd grade.  Had a pretty good southern accent and remember that I flunked phonics that first year in Morton, because the teacher said I couldn’t talk correctly! Graduated from Morton High School and moved out of state to attend college and landed my first job out of state.  That was how it was going to be…but married a guy from Indiana that I had met in college and he took a job with Caterpillar and we landed back in Morton in 1982. 

Raised three boys and did various “careers” from teaching and subbing in various school districts in the area, to director for Pampered Chef, to owning a top scrapbook & stamping store, to working at Caterpillar, where I just recently retired in May.

Background: I always was creative and enjoyed working with my hands.  I looked at creating as a stress reliever and would often when the kids were little, work on projects until the wee hours of the morning.  Even in grade school, I remember loving to make things and give them away to family members.  I took a college art course to complete my degree remotely before the days of personal computers.  I had accepted a job in Georgia, but discovered I still needed a few hours to get that BS degree in business.  I absolutely loved it and since that time have had to have creative projects to keep my sanity in this crazy world.  I have worked on macramé (as a kid), all types of hand needle craft and design, painting, and paper crafting.  My love is painting but have never really done much on canvas.  I have done folk art to abstracts.  My mediums are wood, resins, and textiles using acrylics and watercolor.  I also love to garden and just recently designed and planted two large areas in our backyard.  So I am glad I am retired, so I get to spend large amounts of time creating!

Inspiration: The chair inspiration came while surfing the web.  I had told Scott, that I would like to be included in the Chair-ity Auction event but had no ideas floating in my brain.  Scott told me to find a chair in my attic, antique store, or garage sale….I was searching for something unique and made of wood. But everything was so “normal & plain”.  I saw a chair on Varage Sale and wondered if I could make that work.  I had severe doubts but fell in love with the uniqueness of the chair and really wanted to try my idea.  The chair sat in my living room for many weeks untouched.  I would sit in it, but frankly, it intimidated me!  Then one day, I took the leap and this is my creation.  It took a lot of time to get to a point where I saw it all come together.  Hope you like it as much as I do.

 Pallet Wood American Flag Bench
with Military Honors…by Woodcrafts by Carver

Woodcrafts by Carver is a custom woodcrafts design business specializing in using reclaimed wood, with the emphasis on pallet wood.  All products are designed and handmade by Leslie Carver and distributed by Laura Schmidgall.  Custom product orders are encouraged and accepted, ranging from American Flags to signs, trays, planters, outdoor furniture, and more.  To see photos of products, visit us at Woodcrafts by Carver on both Facebook and Instagram, and contact at woodcraftsbycarver@gmail.com.

Our most popular product sold is the pallet wood American Flag and this became the inspiration for the “chair.” With the size of the flag measuring over 2.5 feet in width, a bench became the better option.  In order to make the flag the focal point, it was framed and the entire bench was whitewashed.  This gives the effect that the flag is floating.  Another popular flag offered is a military style, which was the inspiration to incorporate the military branch insignias.  The opportunity to honor veterans, current service members, firefighters, police officers and their families with these specialty flags has truly been amazing. This bench is a nod to our nation and our nation’s military.

 "Beast"...Base Drum Stool
by Aaron Weber

Attention music lovers, pursuers of the unique & probably my mom: This is your chance to own a one of a kind piece crafted specifically for you. Beast can be flair in the living room, a comfortable place to jam, or the low maintenance/responsibility-free pet you have always wanted. Beast was created by combining the bass drum from my son's abandoned drum set, a wood structure, some faux fur, a set of flashy casters, a couple 3D printed logos and most importantly a whole lot of love. Theoretically, Beast should hold most humans, measures 25" at its widest (Beast is very self-conscious about this, so don't bring it up) and stands around 23" tall (25" with the hair). Beast is looking for a good home, is house broken, does not shed and is good with most kids. Win and Beast is yours.

www.3leftscreations.com

 “Wine and Whiskey” Stools
by Brothers, Joe and Andy Knepp

Grab a friend, a drink and pull up a chair.  The seats of these barstools are made from wine barrels and are affectionately known as “Wine and Whiskey.” The Knepp brothers were inspired by their grandfather’s extensive antique chair collection to design them.  With metal bases purchased from The Store in Peoria, and handcrafted oak wine barrel seats, and bottles of wine and whiskey included, these are a great addition to any bar height counter.

 Children’s Reading Chair
by Abbey Knowles
Sponsored by To The Moon and Back

This chair was built by Abbey Knowles and her husband Jason. It is sponsored by To the Moon and Back, a Young Readers, Young Adult Graphic Novels, Comic Book, and Children’s Bookstore in Morton.

 Painted Mountain Scene Adirondack Chair
by Emily and Bella Moore

We miss our Nana, who lives in Colorado. Because of COVID, we have not seen her in a very long time, so we painted the mountains to be closer to her.
Emily and Bella Moore

This chair is one of two Adirondack chairs that were built and donated for artists to use, by brothers Max and Sam Vlahos. Andy & Cindy Honegger paid for the materials for Max and Sam to use in building the chairs. The other chair built by these brothers is the Chicago Cubs chair.

Also a big thanks to Sylvia and Ron Hasinger for “Sponsoring” this chair…providing funding for the Moore sisters to use to purchase paint, brushes, etc.

Convertible Bench/Picnic Table
by the Morton High School
Production Carpentry Class 

Students in Chad McFarland’s 7th hour production carpentry class created this one of a kind picnic table. The class consists of 16 sophomores, juniors, and seniors who spent a combined 175 man hours on the project. Inspiration for the project was found online, but the team made several upgrades to the original plans to make the project more appealing.

Bench and table top are made out of cedar that was planed and joined to form solid slabs. Once completed the top was finished with spar polyurethane. The bench base is made out of green treated pine stained with an australian timber oil in Jarrah Brown. Accessories included: Picnic Quilt and Fall Pillows by: Nicole Friend. Quilt is approximately 72in x 72in. Pillows are 12in x 16in.

 Planter Chair by the Morton Park District

To commemorate the 2020 remodel of the Morton Park District’s Monarch Park, MPD staff worked together to bring you a “Miniature Monarch Park Chair.” The chair was donated and planted by MPD’s Administrative Secretary, Teressa Zobrist. It was repaired and painted by MPD Superintendent of Parks, Brian Hochstettler.  A miniature “Monarch Park” sign was created by Rob Parn at Elite Signs & Graphics Inc , and the MPD logo was hand painted by Dawn Maloney, Artwork by Dawn.

 Painted Pumpkin Chair
by Artist Connie Andrews

Bio: Connie Andrews is a painter/sculptor that resides in Morton with her daughter, Ruby, 2 cats and a dog. She does commissioned art and teaches oil painting at the park district and sculpture at her studio in Peoria.

About the chair: Connie said her daughter Autumn, found this intricately carved chair in a little second-hand store in Eureka. She went on to say “As soon as I saw it, I knew the space in the middle was begging to be painted. Immediately I envisioned a fall scene with a pumpkin colored velour on the seat. Probably has something to do with the fact that I live in Morton and the Pumpkin Fest season was right around the corner.”

First, she painted the pumpkin and a few other little spots in acrylic paint. Then using her skills as a former auto upholsterer, she covered the wood seat in a rust colored orange velour. Most recently she completed paintings for some of the first murals in downtown Morton. She has done artwork for the Morton Marching band for the last 6 years, including a chair commemorating the band in the first Chair-ity event a couple of years ago.

Some highlights of her artistic career include: In 2016, Connie was honored to be nominated as a finalist for Best Visual Artist in Peoria. Also, in 2016, she was one of 5 artists, out of over 160, chosen for the 1st ArtPop competition here in Peoria that awards a yearlong spot on a billboard in downtown Peoria. Another recent project in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which has gained national attention from Smithsonian Magazine and other media, is a larger than life sculpture she was chosen to paint, inspired by the American Gothic painting of a farmer and his daughter, by Grant Wood. She has been in and received awards in numerous juried art shows in Central Illinois, Chicago and around the country, including the International Colored Pencil Society show in Seattle. Connie’s art is in a growing number of homes and business around the United States and Germany.

Please visit the website or follow her on Facebook or Instagram to see more of her art. www.connieandrews.com 309-231-7509

 Tole Painted Antique Chair
by Artist Dawn Maloney
Sponsored by Morton Community Bank

In the Morton Community Bank old-world tradition, this antique oak straight back chair with a European old-world tole painting design was created and painted by local Artist Dawn Maloney.

Wikipedia says about the style of tole painting: With a longer history in Europe, in America the practice began in 18th century New England and was also extensively carried on among German immigrants in Pennsylvania.  A separate, related tradition occurs in the Netherlands and among Scandinavian countries and immigrants, including Norwegians, Danes and Swedes. German tole painting may concentrate more on metal and tin objects, while Scandinavians and Netherlanders may concentrate more on wooden objects and furniture. Patterns in the two traditions vary slightly as well.

Dawn is currently a watercolor and pastel artist, starting her painting hobby in the folk-art, decorative and tole painting during the 1980s.  She worked at MCB prior to her retirement and continued to teach watercolor painting and participate in the Illinois Art League throughout her 33 year banking career.  Actually, Dawn still works for MCB as the Curator of our Clock Tower Gallery located at our Fondulac Bank in the East Peoria Levee District.  Retirement gives her the opportunity to play in all things art every day!  Her website is dawnmaloney.com

 “Royalty Rocker” by Artist Britten Webster

Hey everyone.  My name is Britten Webster of Arrows and Olive Branches Art.  I am the artist who painted the purple and gold "Royalty Rocker."

I strive to find joy in all situations even the hard ones. As an artist, I have found paint helps to process grief and bring light to the dark places. I love using bold and bright colors in what I paint. My hope is the colors chosen for this chair bring a sense of peace and rest to whomever sits in it.

The inspiration for the "Royalty Rocker" was a place where you can relax and take a moment to enjoy the present. Press pause on the craziness of life, grab your favorite drink and maybe a good book as you sit porch side as a king or queen. You are given permission to rest! You deserve it! 

If you are interested, you can find some of my other art pieces on Facebook or Instagram. Big shout out to Sylvia Hasinger for sponsoring this Royalty Rocker. I couldn't have done it without you!!

Garden Perch Stool
by Crafter, Cindi Witzig

This little stool seemed like a fun 'small' project since I was late in joining the chair fun. I chose to use all things from my crafting stash, most of which was felted wool sweaters along with other "treasures."  I like whimsy and playful crafts and rarely use a pattern.

The "Garden Perch" is my humble donation. I hope it catches someone's eye and brings a smile.

Cindi