Art auction to benefit Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra
Metro Wire Staff
The Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra, in partnership with a local artist, will auction a special painting to help with the orchestral funding for the year.
An original oil painting titled “Promenade” by artists Mark Brueggeman will be up for auction through April 20, with an opening bid of $750.
Inspired by Modest Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition,” performed by the CWSO in 2006, Brueggeman successfully authored an “Artist-Community Collaboration” grant to the Wisconsin Arts Board. That funding allowed Brueggeman to create a series of paintings to accompany each movement of the orchestral work, with the exception of “Promenade.”
Working with 50 students from Jefferson Elementary School, the artist coached them to create paintings of their own imagination for that movement. Those paintings were on display in Sentry Theater in 2006, and have since been purchased.
The CWSO again performed “Pictures at an Exhibition” in mid-February 17 and 18, when Brueggeman completed his own version of “Promenade” on stage during the performances.
The oil painting is now on display at the Smith Scarabocchio Art Museum, 800 Main St. in Stevens Point. Proceeds from the painting will be divided with the CWSO, benefiting the operations of the orchestra.
Brueggeman received his undergraduate degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in drawing and painting, with his graduate work in drawing and fiber sculpture completed at the Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. On faculty at UW-Stevens Point from 1974-1987 in the Department of Art and Design, Brueggeman returned as adjunct faculty from 2001-2015. He has been owner of Atelier Vermeil Studio 2 since 1985, working in printmaking, painting, drawing, and stained glass with “occasional forays into bronze casting.”
Bids for “Promenade,” beginning are accepted by e-mail to [email protected], by telephone (715) 345-7726, or by direct mail to CWSO, P.O. Box 65, Stevens Point, Wis., 54481.
Current bids will be posted at cwso.org/news and on the CWSO Facebook page.