Going, going… almost gone!
The gavel is about the come down on the 21 experiences, art pieces and culinary treats up for grabs in the online Culture, Of Course! auction, a benefit to support the operations of the Lincoln City Cultural Center.
The list of donated items includes everything from luxurious hotel stays and unforgettable meals to group workshops and original art. The auction will close at 10 pm on Saturday, Oct. 17.
Usually held on the first weekend of May, this year’s in-person event was postponed twice, first by COVID-19, then again by the Echo Mountain Fire. In response, the committee took the gala’s fundraising activities online and has so far raised more than half of the original goal.
Opportunities for adventure offered in the online auction include:
● Plein Air in the High Desert: A package for six people including a two-night stay at the Good Bear Ranch — a luxurious log cabin just outside Baker City — and an outdoor painting workshop with renowned high desert painter George Keister. Also includes passes to a local heritage museum, lunch at the Latitude 45 Grille and a walking tour of downtown Baker City with the executive director of Crossroads Carnegie Art Center. Value: $1,200
● Mussel Beach: The winning combination of a mussel harvesting short course and cook-out on the beach for up to four people led by Paul Robertson of Robertson Environmental. Paul also serves as the project and communications manager of the Cascade Head Biosphere Reserve and, as a Lincoln City native, really knows his biosphere at the beach. Value: $150
● Tour in a Teardrop: Camp in comfort with a three-night rental of a sleek and sturdy Teardrop Trailer; Sojourn or Commander model. Both include a queen-size mattress that sleeps two adults and a galley with an Engel cooler, stove, water container, wash tub and all the basic dinnerware, cookware and utensils you'll need for delicious camp cooking. They’ll even provide essential linens and propane. Teardrop NW models can be towed by mid-size sedans, vans and trucks. No black-out days and good through the end of 2021. Value: $350
● Romance of the Red: Get to know the wines of Remy Drabkin, a McMinnville native who has been winning the wine wars with her Old World-style creations. Her eponymous Remy Wines and Three Wives Wines were founded in 2006. She opened baR (pronounced R bar) in 2011 and, in 2017, opened a second location at the family’s vineyard in the Dundee Hills. This auction prize includes a vineyard group tasting for four adults and a case of Three Wives Remy's Red 2017. Value: $360.
The list of adventures also includes a ride in an historic biplane; a tasting menu at the new Bay House restaurant at Salishan Coastal Lodge: a three-night stay, class credit and one year membership at Sitka Center for Art & Ecology; and a guided fungi-foraging weekend at Camp Westwind. You and your friends can nab a culinary class, a workshop in dyeing silk scarves or a load of gravel to pave your driveway — all to benefit the Cultural Center.
But wait, there’s more, even for the more faint of heart.
“If you don’t feel like taking an adventure, that’s ok, we understand,” said cultural center Executive Director Niki Price. “We’re doing some pretty serious nesting ourselves. That’s why we added some comfort foods to the online auction. You can bid on pies from Captain Dan’s Pirate Pastry, cupcakes from My Petite Sweet and a quarter portion of grass-fed beef. We’ve got the right bid item for you, even if you don’t want to leave the house: a Katia Kyte still life painting, a glass float by Kelly Howard and a mosaic by Joanne Daschel.”
The Lincoln City Cultural Center is a nonprofit center for arts, culture and community, located inside the historic Delake School.
To bid, go to www.32auctions.com/cultureofcourse. To learn more about the auction, make a proxy bid or contribute to the cultural cause, call 541-994-9994.