The tool slid across the glass with the steady hand of an artist teaching her craft.
Former state Rep. Sara Wojcicki Jimenez has been paired with Springfield-area artist Morgan Behnke to create a stained-glass window as part of a Springfield Art Association project pairing 16 local artists with well-known people in the community.
The couples are creating art using mediums ranging from canvas painting to stained glass. The pieces will be auctioned off at an event April 1.
“It kind of becomes a friendly competition,” Jimenez said. “Each person wants their piece to go for the most amount of money. And then there are other opportunities such as sponsorships of the artist.”
She added the artist and community member pairings are a true partnership.
Behnke said she is careful to seek Jimenez’ input on such things as the color and the overall design. Jimenez told her she likes pink and wanted to create something with a floral theme.
Based on that input, Behnke created a plan for the window.
“I love art,” Jimenez said. “I think that the Art Association is one of our crown jewels in Springfield in terms of art classes and just the outreach and the murals and everything that they do in the community.”
Charlotte Kane, director of advancement and operations at SAA, said this fundraiser replaces the Dancing with the Stars event the SAA has previously hosted.
“Dancing With the Stars was a gala-style fundraiser held at the Wyndham where local celebrities, stars, personalities and community leaders were paired with a professional ballroom dancer to perform a little dance routine that evening so people could vote for them,” she said. “But a lot of our dance instructors here in Springfield, especially in the ballroom community, are aging and moving to Florida.
“Last year, I was really struggling to find people who were willing to dance. So, we decided to pivot and have local personalities paint a painting and have it auctioned off here. They were left to their own devices on that event. … (This year) we felt that giving them a little more direct attention would produce something of a little better quality. So, we decided to create this event, pairing the participant directly with a professional artist to collaborate on the piece and allow them to explore other media besides painting.”
Silent auction and Art Synergy pieces will be open for viewing and bidding on March 27.
Live auction of Art Synergy pieces will occur at the event on April 1, held 6:30-9 p.m. at the SAA, 700 N. Fourth St.
Pre-sale tickets will be available through March 17 and will cost $35. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door for $45 the day of the event.
Scott Reeder, a staff writer for Illinois Times, can be reached at sreeder@illinoistimes.com.
This article appears in Wedding.
