About 200 people bought hand-painted chairs and donated money to hear live music in support of local arts programs Saturday night in downtown Gainesville.
The Musical Chairs Project raised about $2,500 for the Friends of Alachua County Public Schools Elementary Arts Programs Fund, which is coordinated by two retired Alachua County teachers. The event consisted of an auction followed by a concert.
Fourteen revamped chairs were sold during the auction, which drew a crowd of about 100.
UF's College of Fine Arts was about to discard the old chairs, but Katie Levy, UF graphic design alumna and co-organizer of the event, asked local artists to paint them for the auction instead. Levy used Facebook to contact bands and arranged for the venue space.
"It was a lot of work but very rewarding," said Levy, adding that she's been involved in the Alachua County public school arts programs since she started school.
About 100 more people came out to hear bands Levek and Umoja Orchestra and singer Ricky Kendall, band member of Paxico Via Mexico.
Anna Walters, a UF sophomore, said she came to see Levek after enjoying the band's music earlier in the week at Flaco's Cuban Bakery. She didn't know it was a benefit concert but said that supporting the fund was an added bonus.
Sue Johnson, a retired art teacher who co-formed the fund, said she was glad to see different generations come to the concert and donate.
"With all that goes on in the world, it's pretty cool to be connected through the arts," Johnson said.
Gail and Jim Moss, who purchased a mosaic-decorated chair for $300, attended the concert after to continue to show their support of the arts.
"These young people are doing amazing things," Gail Moss said. "I have to support that."
The remaining 13 chairs sold for between $50 and $300 each.Johnson started the fund after the school board was forced to cut the music and arts curriculum in half in 2008 because of budget cuts. The fund, which is also coordinated by retired music teacher Cheryl Poe, has contributed $1,000 to each art and music program in 25 elementary schools in Alachua County, totaling $50,000.
Johnson said their goal is to start a $100,000 endowment to secure the future of the elementary arts and music programs.
"We want to see the program grow and keep a high level of awareness in the community," she said. "The arts open you up to so many different things, and it's connecting all of us."
