The old saying about how a picture is worth a thousand words? It comes to life every June with Memories in the Making, an art auction where the most sought-after pieces are those created by individuals with Alzheimer’s disease.
For many of the contributors, a paintbrush is their only means of sharing thoughts trapped inside, and so family members are eager to secure these precious insights into a loved one’s soul.
Memories in the Making 2011 was held on the Club Level at Invesco Field at Mile High on June 9, and the 650 guests helped raise $200,000 for research and services funded by the association’s Colorado chapter.
A big chunk of that came from the family of Alzheimer’s artist Bill Herzog. Their $13,500 bid for his watercolor, “Coors Field,” which was paired with “The #16,” professional artist Sarah Buchanan’s dashboard view of an RTD bus driving down a dark Colfax Avenue, was the highest in the event’s 17-year history.
Emcee Kim Christiansen of 9News made auctioneers Chuck and Bryson Miller’s job easier by sharing biographical notes about the special artists.
Chuck Schobinger, for example, was the director of the National Ski Patrol and a Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame inductee who died this past March of Alzheimer’s. His widow, Mary, was there with family and friends to place the winning bid on his “Mountains and Trees,” which had been paired with professional artist Kerry O’Gorman’s “Alaskan Mountains and Lake.”
Mary Schobinger brought a photograph of one of their trips to Alaska that clearly mirrors the watercolor painted by her husband and, as she presented the high bid of $6,250, she said: “We just want the association to know how much we appreciate everything they did for us.”
“Just Going,” by Karola Josephs, was paired with “SoHo,” by pro Jim Beckner. High bidder Carol Lembke donated “Just Going” to the artist’s granddaughter, who was among the guests.
The final offering was “Buffalo Grazing,” an Alzheimer’s artist painting paired with “Bronze Buffalo,” a sculpture donated by Bettina Chandler in memory of her husband, Otis Chandler, who died in 2006 of Lewy body dementia. He had been publisher of the Los Angeles Times and chairman of the Times Mirror Co., which once owned The Denver Post. Bob Lembke’s $10,000 bid secured both items.
Others at the event were Debbie and Dr. Mike Fenoglio; Mary McNicholas; Dennis and Sharon Koughlin; Elaine Strauch; Ted and Lina Shipman; Doug Reese, Alan and Lani Dill; Melinda Quiat; Alex and Karen Speros; Linda and Dr. Val Dean; Kathy Klugman; chapter president Linda Mitchell and board members Kelly Rogers, Phillip Heath, JJ Jordan, Jerilyn Bensard, Dan Thomas, Sarah Lorance, Bill Bridgwater, Michael Saracusa and Harry Stevenson.
Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314 or jdavidson@denverpost.com; also, and GetItWrite on Twitter
