For artist Jennifer Cavan, the first step was to figure out how to clamp the violin to her easel.
Then she applied colored gesso to the raw wood, and then applied oil pastels to create rural, starry night scenes over the instrument.
It was all in the service of Music From Angel Fire’s 25 Painted Violins auction, where decorated instruments will be sold Sunday to raise money for that organization’s annual classical music series.
The designs are diverse. Each of the 25 northern New Mexico artists who contributed their skills came up with a signature design.
Artist Wanda Rogers put clay on the front of her violin and sculpted Beethoven’s face, highlighting sections with gold-leaf paint. Enlarged parts of the musical score from one of the composer’s string quartets are wrapped around the instrument, colored an earth red.
Other participating artists are Sherrie McGraw, Doug West, Clifford Bailey and Thomas French.
“It wasn’t that difficult to get artists willing to paint the violins,” said Ida Kavafian, artistic director for Music From Angel Fire. “We’ve always had a poster artist, and so we asked previous poster artists if they would be interested in this event. Everyone was extremely enthusiastic.”
Music From Angel Fire, which began in 1984, is celebrating a quarter century of presenting concerts in communities throughout northern New Mexico.
The festival also inspires the creation of new music by commissioning works from American composers. Its mission includes offering free youth/family concerts and special performances in area schools.
Kavafian, a Connecticutbased violinist who teaches at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, couldn’t think of a more appropriate way to generate funds for the festival during this special anniversary season than to auction beautifully painted violins. In addition to being grateful to the artists who took part, she appreciates the generosity of Robertson & Sons Violin Shop in Albuquerque, which donated the violins.
“I’ve known the owners for years and bought violins there,” Kavafian said. “I figured the store would be a good source for raw wood violins. When it came time for the store to ship the 25 violins to me, I asked if they were going to send me the bill. They said they decided to donate the instruments to the festival.”
The string-less violins are not meant to be played but to be enjoyed as works of art.
A live auction of these instruments takes place at 4 p.m. Sunday at Angel Fire Community Center immediately after the festival’s afternoon concert. If you can’t be there in person, you can bid online until 10 a.m. Friday. Pictures of the violins and bidding instructions are at www. musicfromangelfire.org. After Friday morning, proxy bids can be cast by calling (888) 377-3300.
25 Painted Violins
WHAT: Auction to benefit Music From Angel Fire
WHEN: 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 31
WHERE: Angel Fire Community Center, Angel Fire
BIDDING: Online at www.musicfromangelfire.org through 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 29, or proxy bidding by calling (888) 377-3300
