The Chair Affair, Benefitting Portland’s Community Warehouse

jparadisirn, , , ,
I found this article and it’s reproduced it here. I’ll have more information about the Chair Affair and photos of my chair, in upcoming posts. — February 24, 2009 — Walking into Kristy Wood’s office, you’ll notice an abundance of chairs. In addition to the dozen mismatched cast-offs surrounding a large conference table, there’s another dozen along one wall, stacked three rows deep, each one with it’s own name, and personality. And more chairs are on the way.”Welcome to my world,” jokes Wood, executive director of Community Warehouse in NE Portland, as she surveys the crowded room. “Aren’t they fantastic?”The chairs Wood is referring to are the main attraction for Community Warehouse’s annual fundraising event, the “Chair Affair” slated for April 23rd at Staver Locomotive in NW Portland. Over the past few months, ordinary seats plucked from the Warehouse’s inventory of donated goods were transformed into works of art by 80 local artists, who used painting, weaving, sculpting, and welding to make their signature pieces.

Julianna Paradisi is one of more than 30 artists returning to the event this year. She loves the “grassroots feel” of the Community Warehouse, which relies on a small staff and many volunteers to supply more than 65 households a week with free furniture and basic household goods. “How can you not support an organization like that?” says Paradisi, who chose to rebuild a small wooden chair using driftwood from the Willamette River.

The “Chair Affair” is a family affair for first year participant Ann Munson, who recruited her son, Andy, and daughter-in-law, Jenny, to create three, unique pieces of art.

“When I heard about the event from a Warehouse volunteer, I knew I had to get involved,” remarked Munson, a professional artist who works out of her greenhouse in West Linn. Stating that she works best under pressure, Munson is still torn between sprucing up an old armchair with paint and collage, or creating a peacock planter from a vintage steel chair.

Finished chair projects are due to the Warehouse by March 5th, and will be displayed during the month of April at the Anka Gallery in NW Portland, and at Mario’s downtown. The auction event is open to the public, and tickets for $50.00 can be purchased through the Community Warehouse, 503-274-4750.

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The Community Warehouse, located at 2267 N. Interstate, is a nonprofit organization that partners with over 90 local social service agencies to distribute free furniture and basic household items to 65 households in need each week. Donations are accepted seven days a week, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Attached Media Files: ChairAff.Release2.docx

Published by jparadisirn

JParadisi RN, OCN emeritus, is a multidisciplinary artist with a focus in painting and writing. Her paintings and short stories have been published nationally. She has exhibited artwork in galleries throughout the Pacific Northwest. Julianna is a frequent contributor to Off The Charts, the blog of the American Journal of Nursing as a blogger and illustrator.

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