July 4 art show, auction benefits Wardsboro Library

WARDSBORO — The Friends of the Wardsboro Library sponsors its annual Art Show and Sale on the front lawn of the Wardsboro Library on Friday, July 4, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Featured this year: one-of-a-kind works on 100-year-old Vermont roofing slates. Many local artists were invited to create a piece of art for the annual event in their own style, theme, and preferred medium.

All of the art work will be available for purchase. This impressive collection of slates will be displayed along with other outdoor, original, and handworked items, including decorative sculpture, garden art, and furniture.

Admission is free for this featured part of the 65th annual Wardsboro July 4 Street Fair and Parade.

After visiting the Friends' outdoor art show and sale, visitors are invited to step inside the Wardsboro Library at 170 Main St. to peruse the art auction preview of 50 special 10-inch by 10-inch works of art on birch boards, which will be auctioned Saturday, Aug. 9, to raise funds for the Friends of the Wardsboro Library

The works, by 45 well-known artists from Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont, will be on display July 4 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and for the remainder of the month during library hours.

No “left bids” will be accepted for any previewed work before the silent auction, which kicks off Aug. 9 at 5 p.m. The live auction is at 6:30 at the library, rain or shine. Admission is $12; advance reservation is not required. Free light fare, a cash beer and wine bar, and door prizes add to the festivities, all under the big tent on the library lawn.

For collectors who love New England artists' work but haven't had time to visit galleries or attend open studio tours, organizers promise something for everyone. Mixed media and all genres are represented, including landscapes, animals, flowers, abstracts, primitives, en plein air, folk, cartoon, hooked rug, and textile art.

All proceeds gathered at both events benefit the Friends of the Wardsboro Library in support of the Gloria Danforth Memorial Building, the home of the Wardsboro Public Library.

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