The annual Collection Invitational and Collectors Choice Benefit Silent Auction highlight works by more than forty established local and regional artists. Visitors and collectors alike will find this an exciting opportunity to see a vast collection of work by a selection of the area’s recognized artists and to add a distinctive piece to a personal collection. The exhibit highlights two works from each artist, one of which is donated by the artist for the Collector’s Choice Benefit, the organization’s largest special event fundraiser. The donated works are prominently displayed and featured in a silent auction. Funds raised in the Collector’s Choice Benefit provide needed operational support for the non-profit organization.
Community Mosaic Project
The concept behind the Community Mosaic Project, which was first launched in 2008 and is now in its 18th year, was twofold: To raise awareness of the visual arts by reaching out to the local community and encouraging participation from individuals of all ages and abilities, and to provide the Hardy with funds through the sale of miniature artworks. The Project is displayed during the months of July and August annually, in conjunction with the Collection Invitational exhibit, and consists, on average, of 300 6-inch by 6-inch works of art that collectively create a large-scale mosaic.
For the 2024 Project, the Hardy Gallery has once again teamed up with Sturgeon Bay’s Artists Guild LLC to provide a free, 6-inch by 6-inch canvas for any individual who is interested in participating.
There are no restrictions regarding subject matter or the kinds of materials one can use to create their own work of art, except that it must be appropriate for display at the gallery, created using the canvas supplied, and must not exceed the 6-inch by 6-inch dimension. In addition, participants must complete an Artist Statement Form that will accompany the finished work of art; both the Guidelines and Artist Statement Form will be distributed with your canvas. Canvases must be returned to any of the distribution dates on or before June 22, 2025, to any of the above locations.
Once all works are collected, they will be constructed into a colorful mosaic, which is scheduled to hang concurrently with the popular Collection Invitational Exhibition from July 11 – August 24, 2025. At the conclusion of the exhibit, the mosaic is deconstructed and the works of art are mailed directly to patrons who blind purchased a canvas. The public is invited to purchase a canvas throughout the duration of the exhibit. A simple donation of $40 will buy one 6-inch by 6-inch original artwork as well as cover the cost of shipping the work – a price that we hope is within everyone’s means. The exciting part of this process is not knowing which canvas you will receive! All sales from the donated canvases will benefit the non-profit Hardy Gallery, a public charity.
