On Friday, members of the University’s Spencer Co-op Family Center converged for their fourth annual auction to raise money for the center. The auction was accompanied by an art exhibit that showcased work the children had done on the topic of identity. The total amount raised has not yet been determined but will be based on the night’s silent and live auctions, in addition to the sale of the children’s art pieces.
The night began with a silent auction of items that had been donated by co-op members and the greater Eugene community. Members mingled around tables, quietly chatting over glasses of wine while they bid on an array of items, from theater tickets and ballet lessons to coffee and weekend getaways.
Denise Olson, fundraising committee member and co-op parent, said that the variety of items and gathering of people “makes this event a really fun time for the parents.”
In addition to these items, for five dollars members could purchase balloons that contained various prizes such as gift certificates, movie tickets, and cash.
The live auction began at the tail end of the night. The majority of the items up for bid were made by children that attend the family center. The bidding was lively as members clamored for items such as a quilt made by the preschoolers, mosaics and picture books. Other big ticket items were Tactic skateboards and a weekend at a McKenzie River cabin.
While co-op members cycled through priced items, a partition divided them from the priceless items: their children’s art work. Set up by Alison McNair, the co-op’s art studio teacher, the adjacent room displayed colorful pieces done in a variety of media and styles that revolved around the theme of identity. Self portraits hung in the form of plaster masks, mosaic sculptures and water color paintings. Mobiles circled above the heads of admirers while they took in the swirling imagination of their community members’ children. Natasha Owens, who volunteered at the event, accounted for the children’s visions saying that they “were not hindered by some of the creative restraints that adults have” and could therefore craft original work. The co-op hopes to further their children’s artistic development by using money raised by the auction to purchase light equipment such as shadow screens so that these blossoming artists can better incorporate light into their work.
The Family Center has grown since its traditional co-op roots in 1978. It now has 14 regular staff and some student help, but parents are still encouraged to come spend time to keep up the sense of community. The annual auction is only one sign of this group’s expansion but despite this development, fundraising committee member Alisa Stull said the center remains for many “a home away from home.”