Take a Seat turns chairs to art

SANDPOINT - On Friday, about 40 different chairs will make the transition from furniture to fine art.

It happens every other year, as NAMI Far North holds its dinner-auction fundraiser to help improve the lives of those affected by mental illness. Hundreds of artists and organizations have supported the cause since the event was first held in 2011.

It works like this: Community members donate chairs, the artists sort through them to find one that strikes their creative fancy and anything goes from there. The result is some of the most colorful objects d'art anywhere.

The name, by the way, is Take a Seat, which NAMI Far North past-president Catherine Perusse explained is more than just a prompt to make a bid to take one of these chairs home.

"Symbolically, it means take a seat at the table with the community to increase awareness about people with mental health needs," she said.

The fourth Take A Seat auction dinner promises to be the best yet, according to the organizers, with chairs that range from funky to functional, as well as benches, rockers and children's furniture. Along with the artistic elements, there is a hint of environmental consciousness at play.

"They're all recycled chairs," said NAMI Far North member Ellie Lizotte.

Money raised at the event will support the group's programs such as Conduit of Care, designed to provide individuals who have been admitted to institutions like State Hospital North in Orofino, Idaho, with clothing and basic necessities. In many cases, these NAMI members shared, individuals enter that environment on the heels of a crisis, traveling to the hospital "with nothing but the clothes on their backs."

Other programs that benefit from Take A Seat proceeds include Family to Family - a 12-week, intensive education curriculum about mental illness taught by family members - and In Our Own Voice, where individuals take their stories of recovery to civic groups and organizations.

"They're very moving stories," Perusse said. "I don't know if I would have the guts to share the way these people do. Again, it's all done to raise awareness."

The cause has found especially strong support with younger artists, who are responsible for nearly one-third of the pieces at this year's auction. It started when Sandpoint High School art teacher Zabrielle Dillon mentioned the Conduit of Care program to some of her advanced students and they asked how they could become involved.

The result, this year, will be 10 chairs donated by SHS students from Dillon's Art 2 class. In another example of youthful philanthropy, SHS musical duo Owen & McCoy have donated their talents to provide music during the dinner.

"I just love how the kids have picked up on this," said Lizotte. "What an example of paying it forward."

Chairs generally sell for anywhere from $20 to $400, said NAMI Far North president Amber Snoddy, with children's furniture often attracting some of the highest bids.

Examples of these chairs-turned-artwork currently are on display at The Paint Bucket, Pedro's, Eve's Leaves and Finan McDonald Clothing Co. On the night of the event, they will be moved to the atrium at Columbia Bank, where JoJo Baker will lead the live auction and silent auction items such as a scenic airplane ride with Tamarack Aerospace Group will be available for bid.

The Take A Seat dinner and auction is scheduled for Fri., June 12, from 6-10 p.m. Dinner will be catered by Tango Cafe and a no-host bar will be available. Tickets are $45 per person, available in advance at Eve's Leaves, Pedro's and Finan McDonald, or online at: www.take-a-seat.eventbrite.com

For details on the event, call (208) 597-2047. For more information about NAMI Far North, visit: www.facebook.com/namifarnorth