Press Kit

CONTACT:  Siiri Grubb, 603-356-5701 ext. 304, siiri@mtwashingtonvalley.org

THE 2009‘ART-A-RON-DACK' PROGRAM BRINGS ART, CULTURE AND HIGH-STAKES BIDDING TO MT WASHINGTON VALLEY, NH

39 pieces of functional art decorated the Mt Washington Valley this summer as artists made their mark on cedar Adirondack chairs.

NORTH CONWAY, NH-The Art-A-Ron-Dack program, an exciting new summertime promotion presented by the Mt Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce, R& R Woodworkers and Chick Home Center, came to a close on Labor Day, 2009. This program, running from June 21st to September 7th, showcased 39 cedar Adirondack chairs that had each been painted or decorated with the original artwork of local artists.

Displayed at local businesses all summer long, each of the 39 chairs were sold to the highest bidder though a summer-long, nation wide auction. Locals and visitors alike participated in this auction, making it a tremendous success with a total of $8,800 being raised. Each of the artisans will be given 25 percent of the final bid price for their chairs to help defer the cost associated in creating these unique pieces of art.

The proceeds from the 11 chairs that were located in North Conway Village, totaling $2,212, will go to the North Conway Village Association to aid in their efforts to promote and enhance business in the village of North Conway. Of the $8,800, $3,581 will be kept by the Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce to go towards their marketing efforts and promotion of tourism in the Mt. Washington Valley area. Additionally, the proceeds from Janet Durkee-Prescott's chair sponsored by Colonial Motel, totaling $150, were split between the Shirley Rae Walker Moon Cancer Foundation and the White Mountain Community Health Center.

The chairs, judged by local artist Ernest Brown and Van McLeod, Commissioner of New Hampshire's Department of Cultural Resources, were placed into three categories, each of which had a first, second and third place winner. The first place winners of each of the three categories were brought to the 2^nd Annual Fields on the Saco event where they were auctioned live. These three chairs brought in a total of $925, $693 of which went to the Mt. Washington Valley Green Team to help in their efforts to educate, promote, and encourage sustainable green business practices within our community.

The winners as determined by the judges are as follows: "Thinking Beyond the Chair," first place went to Barbara Anderson for her chair sponsored by Sherman Farm, second place went to Maureen & Sumner Rupprecht for the chair at Wine Thyme-A Wine Shop & Café, and third place went to Janet Durkee-Prescott for her chair at Colonial Motel. In the "Artistic Merit" class, first place went to Michael DiNucci for the chair sponsored by Weston's Farm, second place went to Grant Hacking for this chair at the Eastern Slope Inn (sponsored by River Run Company) and third place went to Josef Keller for his chair at White Horse Press. The third class was "Honorable Mention" in graphic and/or humor. First place in this class went to Duane Hammond for his chair at Yankee Smokehouse, second place went to Josef Keller for his chair at Karla's Pet Rendezvous and third place went to Susan Forsman for her chair at the Inn at Thorn Hill. The "People's Choice" winner was Dianne Mello for her chair showcased at Salvatore Michael's Framed Art Superstore.

The Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce would like to thank R&R Woodworkers, manufacturers of the cedar Adirondack chairs used for the program, for all of their support and efforts in making this event such a success. R&R Woodworkers graciously donated a child sized chair to be used in our Art-A-Ron-Dack contest for those who downloaded the informational booklet online.

Sponsors for the 2009 Art-A-Ron-Dack program are R&R Woodworkers, Glass Graphics, Mosston Media, Chick Home Center and Red Jacket Mountain View Resort, Spa & Water Park. The Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce would also like to thank all the business sponsors and the artisans who participated in this year's Art-A-Ron-Dack program. The support for this first year promotional event was phenomenal, with the quality and craftsmanship of these chairs beyond expectation.

If you would like to participate in next year's Art-A-Ron-Dack program either as a business sponsor or an artisan you can register by calling Suzy at 603-356-5701 ext. 307.

For complete up-to-date information on Mt. Washington Valley, including events, lodging, dining and attractions as well as to subscribe to the free E-Traveler newsletter, visit http://www.mtwashingtonvalley.org/ or call 1-800-DO-SEE-NH (800-367-3364).

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