Au Revoir, PepperMelon
GLASS ARTIST SUZI KELLY DONATES ART TO WOMANSPACE AUCTION
It was time to say goodbye to PepperMelon. Who-is-what-is PepperMelon? PepperMelon is a stained glass sculpture that got its name from a conglomeration of interpretations, and after a bidding war on a silent auction, was welcomed into a loving home full of beautiful art.
PepperMelon was originally called Red Skies at Night. It is common for an artist to name their artwork, but my family and friends had other opinions of the name. “It looks like a slice of watermelon”, some would say. Others told me that it looked like a chili pepper. Not one single person saw the moon rising in the red sky. So, I acquiesced. PepperMelon it was.
It was time to say goodbye to PepperMelon because I donated her to the Womanspace silent auction 26th Annual Barbara Boggs Sigmund Awards Event. Womanspace is an organization based in Mercer County, New Jersey, that provides shelter, support, and counseling to victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence. It is an important organization that does tremendous work, and it was my honor to donate my art to the auction.
The auction was open for about a month, culminating with the keynote speaker, Elizabeth Smart. Elizabeth, now an advocate for missing persons and victims of sexual assault, was just 14 years old in 2002 when she was abducted from her bedroom near Salt Lake City, Utah. Her keynote story was harrowing, heart-wrenching, and triumphant. I say triumphant because she not only survived, but she was also able to draw strength from her family and her faith in God to devote her life to advocacy. Her story moved me to tears and I was very proud that I donated my art to such an important and worthy cause.
Back to the auction… it was open for a month and the suspense was driving me crazy. I kept checking to see if any bids were made on my piece and the other items. My guy kept reassuring me that the action will happen on the last day. I couldn’t wait that long, so the week before the auction ended I posted the auction on Facebook (see video). A bid was made! As promised, things got more exciting the night of the silent auction – a bidding war was going on over PepperMelon! I was so happy that my piece was generating funds for Womanspace; I was honored to be able to help in such a way.
That is only part of the story, however. Yes, I was overjoyed that I was instrumental in helping to raise funds for Womanspace, but I was not prepared for what happened next.
Womanspace put me in touch with highest bidder so we could make delivery arrangements. My guy and I were invited to the home where PepperMelon would be spending her days. When I walked into the home and saw all the beautiful art that the couple had collected over the years, I was overcome. Each piece had a story, whether it a wood sculpture, a painting, or stained glass, which my new friends were happy to share with us. They brought us to a window in the kitchen flanked with a collection of lovely colorful glass pieces and pointed to a clear space in the center and exclaimed lovingly, “This is the place that we picked out for PepperMelon.”
This is the part that I was unprepared for. I like to spend time with my creations before I sell them. It doesn’t always work out this way because of deadlines or what-have-you, but having my art hang out with me in my space gives me the opportunity to get to know it, see it in a different light, love it for what it was and what it has become. I’ve sold many pieces, and while that makes me happy, I’ve never felt the appreciation for the emotional attachment that an artist has for her art until I met these two.
Being able to personally give my art to people who felt so connected to it brought me such joy. Knowing that my art was highly regarded by these lovers of art made me feel like all was right with the world. My new friends seemed very happy with acquiring PepperMelon and giving her a place of honor in the busiest, yet coziest room of their home was clearly a testament of their love of things of beauty.
Au revoir, PepperMelon.
For more information, how to donate, or to seek assistance, visit Womanspace.org