The Dream Box

A bunch of us independent artists try and get together every few weeks to have coffee. We chat, grinch, share info about upcoming shows, new projects, galleries to stay away from or support. We call it Art Coffee and it is a good reason for us to crawl out of the loneliness of our studios to get some face time with our peeps. At Art Coffee a couple of months ago, my friend and ATC artist, Diane gave me one of her original Artist Trading Cards as a thank you for inviting her to join our coffee group. Diane met some new artist friends and enjoyed being included. I like to try and add a new artist friend to each coffee to help grow new relationships.

On Saturday, I attended the 2nd annual Transformed Treasures Auction & Luncheon at the Sheraton Anchorage Hotel. The event is a fundraiser for local Salvation Army programs. The idea of the event is to have local artists and craftspeople transform one-of-a-kind items found in local Salvation Army thrift stores into treasures. The luncheon attendees bid on the "transformed" items through silent and live auction. There were easily over a hundred items valued from $15 to a (re)hand crafted, game room, card playing table with 4 chairs set that went for $5,000! An old leather skirt was transformed into a journal cover, old sweaters were transformed into a hat and mitten sets, purses and felted wool art. Lamps were given hip, new shades with hand-

painted designs and otherwise tossed out everyday objects became incredible found objects of art.

My next door neighbor Mary and I went together and we each met another group of friends at the event. My other friends and Mary already had tickets and I was fortunate to be able to purchase one of the remaining 10 walk-in tickets because the event was sold out. The entire ballroom of the Sheraton was filled. In the silent auction sections, Mary was the successful bidder on a large, "transformed" wall mirror and an assemblage piece titled "Dream Box." The piece was originally a jewelry box that was made artful and had little messages and items in each of the 5 drawers labeled, D, R, E, A and M. There was a message about the Celtic God of Dreams called Angus Mac Og in one drawer, lampwork beads in another drawer and in the top drawer was an Artist Trading Card. The card was similar to the card my friend Diane had given me a couple of months 

ago! When Mary had returned from paying for her items I helped her carry the Dream Box and mirror to our car and shared with her what I'd found in the Box while she was paying for her items. When I told her about having a similar Trading Card to the one in the top drawer, she said "you aren't going to believe this -but I bought this Dream Box for you for all that you do for me!!" I said "no way, you bought this for me, how thoughtful!!" After discovering the card, Mary said it must have been meant to be! When we got home we compared the two cards and looked on the bottom of the Dream Box -guess who the artist was that made and donated the box to the Transformed Treasures event...... it was Diane!