By By KEVIN SCOTT CUTLER
Lifestyles & Features Editor
Just under 200 original works of art will find new homes during this week’s Little Art Exhibit &Fundraiser, hosted by the Beaufort County Arts Council.
The show opens today and runs through Thursday in the Washington Civic Center. The exhibit is free and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day during its run.
Dozens of artists are supporting the show, taking plain 8-inch-by-10-inch canvases and transforming them into masterpieces, according to BCAC Executive Director Joey Toler.
The artists hail from throughout Beaufort County, New Bern, Wilmington, Ocracoke Island and the Hyde County mainland, Jacksonville, Virginia and New England.
“A lot of them have participated in our Fine Arts Show in the past,” Toler said. “The artists’ response from the get-go has been what made me know this was going to be a success.”
Various mediums are represented in the show, including oils and acrylics, photography, watercolors and three-dimensional pieces.
“Some of the artists who are known for a particular medium have done something different for this show,” Toler said. “They worked outside their comfort zone, and that’s been fun to see them do this. Some of them are used to working only on a large scale, so that is different for them, too.”
The participating artists donated their works to BCAC; in turn, patrons purchased pieces for $30 each or four for $100.
The twist is, according to Toler, patrons won’t know which pieces of artwork they’ve purchased until the closing reception Thursday.
During that event, which begins at 5:30 p.m., the numbers on the paintings will be revealed and matched to a list of those who made purchases during the past couple months.
Work on the project began in January.
“I was looking for a fundraiser that was kind of unique and creative, where people would leave with something,” Toler said.
He credits BCAC member Mary Thomson with inspiring the Little Art Exhibit. While traveling, she viewed a similar project in Wisconsin.
“Mary brought me the idea, and I just tweaked it a little bit and kind of shaped it for us,” Toler said.
The “little” theme even extends to the appetizers that will be served Thursday evening, according to Sue Nicholson, who, along with Pat Mansfield, is planning the reception. Their menu includes tiny cookies, small croissants and miniature pizzas.
The pieces of art were “all but sold out” as of Monday morning, Toler said, but anyone interested in purchasing a piece and attending the reception may call the Arts Council office at 252-946-2504.