August 28, 2024
Raising Money to Support Oberlin Community Services
Wooden chairs donated by vendors at Main Street Antiques, repaired and whimsically decorated by Kendal at Oberlin residents, to be sold at the upcoming Firelands Association for the Visual Arts (FAVA) art fair means financial support for Oberlin Community Services.
This community partnership is called Whimsical Art Chairs. “It’s been a lot of fun to do,” says organizer Kathleen Cerveny.
Before: Chairs Donated by Main Street Antiques
Donated Chairs, Painted with an Artist’s Touch
Kathleen and several other Kendal artists decorated a dozen or so chairs generously donated by Main Street vendors. Some of the chairs needed repair so Kendal Wood Shop workers stepped in. In all, about 16 Kendal residents have been involved in the Whimsical Art Chairs project.
Before the chairs leave Kendal, the artists will talk about the project on September 5th at the Art Studio’s monthly “Art in our Lives” series. For instance, Kathleen decorated two chairs – one a child’s chair – with haikus she wrote. After the event, the chairs will be displayed in the windows of Heiser Lounge.
After: Whimsical Chairs, painted by Kendal at Oberlin artists
Visit the FAVA Art Fair on Saturday, September 14
Oberlin Community Services (OCS) will move the chairs to FAVA’s Second Annual Art Fair in the Square, which is Saturday, Sept. 14, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Tappan Square. The event features over 70 artists, plus musical entertainment, food trucks, and more.
Each whimsical chair is $75 and credit cards will be accepted, again thanks to assistance from OCS. The fun, worthwhile project has been a lot of work given all its moving pieces, says Kathleen. “It has totally taken up my summer,” she says. Kathleen, who is also in charge of the Art Studio, says that “chairs for charities” is a popular fundraising project across the country and hopes others continue the project in Oberlin.
Story by Molly Kavanaugh
In the past, Molly Kavanaugh frequently wrote about Kendal at Oberlin for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, where she was a reporter for 16 years. Now we are happy to have her writing for the Kendal at Oberlin Community.
About Kendal at Oberlin: Kendal is a nonprofit life plan community serving older adults in northeast Ohio. Located about one mile from Oberlin College and Conservatory, and about a 40 minute drive from downtown Cleveland, Kendal offers a vibrant resident-led lifestyle with access to music, art and lifelong learning