Local art auction to benefit East Lynne Theater Company and other nonprofits

(CAPE MAY, NJ) -- The Equity professional East Lynne Theater Company is pleased to announce that it is one of three nonprofit organizations receiving a portion of the proceeds generated by a silent art auction held on Wednesday, October 9 from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. at The Mad Batter, 19 Jackson Street, Cape May.  Patrons have the opportunity to see the artwork and begin the auctioning process on Tuesday, October 8. The bidding ends at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, after a reception.

     Center for Community Arts and The Nature Center of Cape May, along with ELTC, were selected because they have all demonstrated their commitment to teach art to all ages in the Cape May Community. 

     ELTC is the only organization in Cape May County that has continually provided theater workshops in schools for over thirteen years.  Now in its fourth year of working with the Wildwood School District, ELTC continues to procure funding so its artists-in-residence can direct plays at West Cape May Elementary School. During the summer, ELTC has its popular Student Workshop where participants perform an admission-free show for the community, and in March, in partnership with The Henry Sawyer Inn, ELTC has its playwriting workshop for adults.   

      The work being auctioned is the original art from the book "Cape May A to Z," recently published by SeaGrove Press of Cape May.  After two years of collaborating with the community of Cape May on the illustrations, this is the first book by authors and art educators Paige Cunningham and Janet Payne.  

     Working through the alphabet, the subjects for this unique artwork were carefully chosen, and the result is a book filled with wonderful illustrations as diverse as Cape May itself.  For example, "A" is for Atlantus, the sunken ship at the end of Sunset Boulevard, "C" is for the sandcastles on the beach, and "Z" is for the zebra at the zoo.

     The process began with a photograph of the subject, which was enlarged on a copy machine to 20" X 20" and gridded and cut into 64 squares.  Each square was colored over by a member of the community using oil pastels.  Squares were colored by all ages from all backgrounds, from people at the West Cape May Farmers' Market to visitors at the Nature Center of Cape May, and many community events over the past two years.  Once the squares were colored, the picture was reassembled onto a 20" X 20" canvas.  A list of those who colored the illustrations is in the back of the book, along with a scavenger hunt that anyone can play.

     "Cape May A to Z" is available at the following Cape May locations; Whales Tale, Cape Atlantic Books, Exit Zero Stores, Spirit Catcher Photography, Happy Baby, The Carriage House at the Physick Estate, Swallowtail Studio at the West End Garage, Good Scents, and the Nature Center.

      Currently, ELTC is presenting a 1932 comedy about the art world written by Sidney Howard, who received the Oscar for Best Screen Play Adaptation for "Gone with the Wind."  The talented cast of nine is under the direction of Gayle Stahlhuth and runs Wednesday through Saturday evenings at 8:00 p.m. through October 13, except there is no show on Wednesday, October 9, and an added show on Sunday, October 13. Location is The First Presbyterian Church, 500 Hughes Street, Cape May, where the company is in residence. Contact ELTC at 609-884-5898 or www.eastlynnetheater.org for information and reservations.

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Craig Fols, Robert LeMaire, and Mark Edward Lang in East Lynne Theater Company's production of "The Late Christopher Bean." Photo credit: Gayle Stahlhuth