PONCHO newsletter

March 2007

Looking for something Hot! Hot! Hot!? Look no further than the 45th Anniversary PONCHO Gala to be held on Saturday, April 21 at The Westin Seattle. This year’s Latin-inspired Gala will not only sizzle with hot music, dance, and food, but also with the hottest auction items:

Turkish Grand Prix – Travel with PONCHO Board member Miller Adams and his wife Dr. Cheryl Roberts from Seattle to Istanbul in British Airways’ Club World. Meet the Renault Formula 1 team, get behind the scenes, in the pits, and in the luxury suite in this all inclusive once in a lifetime trip!

A Dinner Like No Other – Join Jeffrey & Susan Brotman in their wonderful Medina home as you and your guests enjoy 20 years of Petrus wine from Michael Corliss & Lauri Darneille, and feast on a meal prepared by our own culinary royalty, Renee Behnke, designed to match your tastes and the three amazing vintages of 1975, 1985, and 1995.

2007 Ducati Sport 1000S – This retro-designed bike is as fast as it looks. From the moment you lay eyes on this sleek machine, you will feel the need to jump on and ride! Ducati is the hottest name in bikes, in fact, they are RED HOT!

Apple I-Phone – Be the first to have the hottest new phone since the invention of the cell phone, a sleek new offering from the innovative team at Apple!

For more information about the Gala Auction visit the PONCHO Web site. To purchase your tickets click here or contact Inna Shmelyova at the PONCHO office at 206-623-6233, ext. 203 or inna@poncho.org.

Volunteer opportunites for the Gala Auction are also available. Registration is easy online.

Breaking records is becoming a habit with the PONCHO Art Auction. The 6th Annual PONCHO Invitational Fine Art Auction, held last Saturday at Bell Harbor International Conference Center, was sold out at almost 700 guests. Nearly 300 Northwest artists and craftsmen participated in the fundraiser helping to raise $360,000 auction night. Included in the auction proceeds was $51,000 that will go directly to arts education programs around the state.

The Live Auction featured 68 items that yielded a whopping 119 percent of value. Some works of art, like craft artist Cheryl Williams’ ceramic bowl and Bellingham artist James Lourie’s abstract painting fetched over 500% and 300% of value respectively.

Positive comments from patrons and artists alike were pouring in the next day: “Wow, the Art Auction was great, we had so much fun!,” “the best PONCHO Art Auction to date,” “what a festive and exciting event,” “we had a fantastic time, and will be back next year…”

“It was a very special night for all of us,” said Shannon Flora, Auction Co-Chair. “Not only did we throw a great art party, but having the participating artists at the event as our guests was a bonus for our art buyers and a great way to thank and honor our donating artists.”

“We can not thank participating artists and donors enough for their generosity,” adds Reed Atkin, Auction Co-Chair. “We are thrilled to have raised a record breaking amount to give back to the artists and arts organizations in the Northwest. It is this kind of collaboration between art patrons and artists that makes our arts community one of the strongest and most artistically diverse in the nation.”

Also at the event, PONCHO presented Seattle artist Juan Alonso with the Morrie and Joan Alhadeff Artist of the Year Award. Chosen by participating artists based on his leadership, artistic achievements and involvement in the arts community, Alonso will receive a prize of $5,000. “As a member of the PONCHO Art Committee, I was already enjoying my time helping with a great visual arts event,” said Alonso. “But receiving this recognition from my peers really tops off a great experience of working for and with some great people and artists.”

To view photos from the Art Auction, visit the Team Photogenic Web site.