It was the 39th annual Unionville High School Art Gala and organizers were hoping for a good turnout during its two-day display of professional and student art on Nov. 7 and 8.
The event is a fund-raiser for the PTO. It brought in $10,000 last year and organizers were hoping to at least repeat that this year, according to Angela Bond Blecher who was in charge of the financial side of the event.
In addition to the fine arts of painting and sculpture, there were also displays from photographers, crafters and jewelry makers. Chadds Ford Township residents Paul Koch and Robert Lott had their work on display. Lott is a photographer who creates High Dynamic Range images and Koch makes wooden bowls from downed trees in the region.
Lele Galer, one of the organizers for the event, said the art gala has changed over the years. Where it began as more of a craft show, it now features student art and “a place to feature new and emerging artists.”
Galer said there were 50 student and 45 professional artists showing their works this year.
“That’s about half what used to be the case, but we thought it was a better idea to give a little more space to each artist,” Galer said.
She added that the group was hoping for at least 1,000 visitors.
The PTO gets 30 percent of the sale price of items sold, but this year there was a chance for a little bit more.
In addition to the regular sales and the silent auction, this year’s featured artist, Karen Delaney, a metal sculptor, was donating 100 percent of the sales for five of her pieces.
“It’s an event that’s very near and dear to my heart,” Delaney said. “My children attended this school; one is still here. It’s been a marvelous experience and I want to show my gratitude for all the efforts that go into this exhibition and all the efforts of the Unionville PTO and the school itself.”
Delaney’s work tends to be vertical, obelisk type of sculptures. She said that’s because of her interest in architecture, though the pieces don’t refer to any particular buildings.
“My forms are more organic than most architectural structures, but you can see an underlying structural influence you see in architecture. I find myself constantly responding to architectural shapes and incorporating them into my work,” Delaney added.
About Rich Schwartzman
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
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