High-Flying Fundraiser to Benefit Children's Museum of Maine

It's still a bit early for It's A Wonderful Life reruns to appear, but the Children's Museum of Maine hopes to channel some of the magic from that movie for a good cause. The museum has re-launched it's “Skyward” fundraising program, an event that features 15 kite works of art that will be raffled off in mid-November. All proceeds go to support the Children's Museum, a non-profit organization.

Jim Britt, creator of Skyward, first organized this event in 2005 to support the museum's “We Are Maine” exhibit, an interactive exhibit that educated kids about the different cultures in Maine. This year is the museum's 30th anniversary, and Britt, who is also a board member for the museum, thought it would be a good time to bring Skyward back.

Kites by (left to right): Louisa Boehmer Wickard, Melinda Titus, Stephanie Sersich, Victoria Paskett, and Katie Diamond.

Tired of all the “elite” art auctions with high ticket prices, Britt decided the fine art pieces featured in Skyward should be raffled off. “I wanted this to tie into the message that the museum is inclusive,” says Britt. “Everyone is welcome in here, and we wanted everybody who is interested in getting behind this cause to be able to buy a ticket.”

Kites by (left to right): Susan Delsandro Hellier, Nance Parker, Ariette McDonald, Toby Rosenberg, and Jill McGowan.

Nine of the artists returned from the initial Skyward event, along with six new artists. All the artists took some creative license with the initial “kite” concept, creating a wide range of unique art pieces. The kites were created from a variety of materials and styles, from oil on canvas, to fabric, to sculpted copper or glass beads. Sizes range from a bracelet to a bed comforter. Each kite seems to have a story behind it, and Britt says that for some of the artists, doing art for a reason like this reminds them why they became artists in the first place.

Kites by (left to right): Christopher Michael Sullivan, Matt Welch, Daniel Minter, Colin Sullivan-Stevens, and Kendra Haskell.

The kites are on display now at the Children's Museum in Portland, and will be exhibited at different locations periodically before the drawing. Raffle tickets cost $5 each, and you can choose your favorite kite to enter the drawing for. Winners will be drawn on November 16. This is a great chance to win some fine pieces of art, support a good cause, and prove that it really is a wonderful life.

Links:
Skywardkites.org
Childrensmuseumofme.org