Be Seated, Do Good

Meet ” Chairman Meow “.

My entry last season to the annual live auction benefiting The St. Croix Womens’ Coalition. They’re a non-profit organization that provides counseling, shelter and family services to abused women and children here.

The evening is billed as a “Chair-a-Table ” event because alternating years they provide local artists with an unpainted chair or table to festoon, paint or reassemble in any way they choose. This is the mainstay of their biggest fund raising gala and aside from private donations, brings in the most revenue to support their sadly needed services.

All the items go on the auction block and the bidding frenzy begins. A few glasses of wine, champagne, people outbidding each other -it’s a terrific night and everybody is a beneficiary of something good.

Opening bids start at $400 and it goes from there. As the artist, you have the option to donate all or %50 of the final bid price. I indicated a total donation, thinking it would fetch ( oh it’s a cat, they only fetch live mice and release them in your bedroom ) seven or eight hundred dollars.

I worked on this for weeks- 5 coats of red lacquer paint, drying and sanding in between, the lettering, the tassels, and the Chairman himself with his Peoples’ Republic jacket. I remembered while I was doing this, how much I enjoy the craft part of art and craft.

Seems the Chaircat had a secret admirer who called in a pre-auction bid of $2200.00!!!! Yikes and whaddya know? I fell off my chair. Must have been the whiskers….

A great night indeed.

Take a look at some other kittie stars here-

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18 Responses to “Be Seated, Do Good”

  1. Noel Luria Says:

    Da comrade, da. Zis appeals to proleteriat. It will be know as the peoples chair. Order of Lenin you will receive. It is, in fact, too nice to ever sit on.

  2. david lobenberg Says:

    Da! Da! Must agree with honorable comrade Noel! Most inventive chair and cannot but appeal to western capitalist running dog ( so sorry!) feline owners! Chairman Lobenberg say: Build “Chairman Meow” factory soon and pull in a veritable fortune. Can erect gigantic McMansion in Shanghai. Factory pollution and forest degradation? Chaiman Lobenberg advise you to respond with big “Fook Yu!!’*

    *English translation: Have a great day!!

  3. david lobenberg Says:

    Well Bonnie… I thought my first comment was lost in blog ether so I wrote another “improved” comment. Is there anyway I can delete my first one or can you do it on your end? Sometimes I hate these new fangled computers!

  4. bonnieluria Says:

    Done- loved both the comments anyway. Seems there’s a small army of appreciators beginning to take formation.

  5. Carol King Says:

    Laughing at Noel & David’s comments!!!!

    Don’t have much to add except that it’s an exceptional chair and I would hate for anyone to put their fat American butts on it thereby obliterating the lovely communist kitty.

    Whether it’s art or craft (or in this case both) you excel!

  6. Marian Fortunati Says:

    Good grief! I didn’t check for a few days and zowie you’ve got so many interesting things posted. This Chairman Meow is terrific!… I’m going to send it to my girlfriend. She LOVES all things related to cats and besides, your blog is always so much fun!!
    I had gotten used to less frequent blogging, now I’m going to have to catch up!!

  7. Marian Fortunati Says:

    Well, phooooie…. This blog type doesn’t have one of those neat little envelopes that allow you to email the blog to a friend. I’ll have to figure out another way to do it…. Perhaps the old fashioned… File then send way… Hmmm

  8. Jennifer Says:

    Congratulations on a magnificent work of art being put to great use. It’s catchy, creative and for a good cause. Good work!

  9. Sharon Crute Says:

    Isn’t it awesome to have your creative artwork bid up beyond your expectations? Kudos to you Bonnie…way cool!

    Must tell you… enjoying the kitty video…hubby sleeping peacefully in next room…I turn on speakers which unbeknownst to me were at maximum volume…hubby flies off bed higher than most startled cat…

    Thank you for the laughed ’til I cried moment!

  10. bonnieluria Says:

    Marian- being away for almost a month put a little crimp in blogging but glad you keep checking- thanks!
    Best way to pass this on to your friend is just email her the link from your browser and she’ll have it right there.
    Go to my blog, make sure you’re on the posting with the cat chair and cut and paste that address from the browser into the email.

    Jennifer- so appreciate the good words here. I had a blast doing it.

    Sharon- that anecdote cracked me up. The music in that video gets louder as the genre of the music changes- I can picture that image…..

  11. nathaliewithanh Says:

    “The Chinese people have stood up”, but I want to sit down! This is certainly a great leap forward for chair art and I’m throwing a hundred flowers at your artist feet.

  12. w1kkp Says:

    Speaking as one of the many Americans sporting a fat butt, (we are legion and would travel more in our bermuda shorts but the dollar is swooning), I thought at first I would sit while writing this comment to applaud the artist, but out of deference to those offended by my largesse, I’ll stand instead.

    Ready?

    Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap……

    Oh, yes–I also hate cats but I adored that chair and the video. 2200 is a bargain for the Chairman.

  13. bonnieluria Says:

    Natcrack ( yes with homage to Pat and her unrelated blog name w1kkp ) ’cause that is what you and your photos and comments are to us.

    Meow man was hard to part with but he brought power to the people, or as they say here, the people dem.

    Pat-the only largesse you possess, in MY opinion and since it’s MY blog, my opinion is the ruling one- that, and that I’m a great assessor of granduer, is the hugeness of mindscope and artists’ eye, and diarists’ regularity, that is YOU.

    Your point of view makes me think hard, laugh harder, and see the corners and niches of life that could otherwise go un-noticed.

  14. razzbuffnik Says:

    Well done!

    On quite a few levels.

    I used to have a cat called Mao. He was called Mao for 2 reasons. One was because he acted like he was the chairman and the other was that he was always saying, Mao, Mao, Mao.

  15. bonnieluria Says:

    Razzbuffnik- so clearly, you got the essence of my inspiration. Thanks for the visit – have a seat and stay a while.
    I can’t promise a gourmet meal the likes of which you provide but would some catnip entice?

  16. Paz Says:

    Another wonderful sounding event and wow! to the donation. That’s awesome and worth it!

    Paz

  17. TerryC Says:

    Clever and cat-chy, Bonnie!

    You have a great knack for combining word fun with life fun and art fun.

    Love it!

  18. bonnieluria Says:

    Terry- very clever yourself!
    Thanks for the visit, and unlike cats, I don’t have to clean up after you.

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