On the Town: The art of giving
Funky shoes and birds'-eye views help to support student and professional creativity in Toledo
4/3/2011
The Low Down Brass Band from Chicago performs at Mix Vertical. From left, Shane Jonas on trumpet, Lance Loiselle on tuba, David Agee on drums, David Leine on baritone sax, and Toledo native Chris Neal on tenor sax.
PROVIDED TO THE BLADE
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Funky shoes spotted at Steppin' Out: The Funky Shoe Event.
Steppin'Out: The Funky Shoe Event to benefit the Toledo School for the Arts took place last month in the Crown Plaza.
The sixth annual event included tasty foods, music, and a live and not-so-silent auction run by Jerry Anderson of WTOL-TV, Channel 11.
More than 100 TSA students performed in the orchestra, blues band, Glass City Steel Drum Band, the Urban Jazz Collective, and as giant pageant puppets.
Centerpieces by students added an extra spark: origami-type flowers in boxes covered with drawings of shoes.
Shopping opportunities were fabulous, with student and professional art, trips, restaurant certificates, home furnishings, music and more. An autographed guitar and lunch for two with Crystal Bowersox in Chicago was a hit. Kathy Jones won the bid but generously donated the package back to the school.
Miniature cars adorn these funky heels.
More than 280 guests dressed in their best with funky shoes, some made out of Legos, some with sparkles, and some hand-painted.
Seen were TSA Board President Bill Bostleman and his wife, Evy Jarrett; Vice President Marna Ramnath and her husband, Suresh; Chief Financial Officer Mike Urbanski and his wife, Betsy. Board members in attendance were Jeff Anderson with Karen Miller, Jamie Dauel and her husband, Rob, Bob Decker and his wife, Patti, Judd Johnson and his wife, Sheila, Joel Nedrow and his wife, Lynn, Erica Saldana, and Clarence Smith and his wife, Patricia.
Also seen were founding board members Johnetta McCollough and Sara Jane DeHoff with her husband, Bill; Margy and Scott Trumbull; Tim, Mary, and Nancy Alter; Nancy and Michael Rogers; Kathy Jones and her daughter, Sara Bowen; Olivia and Eric Summons; and Su-Pa and Francie Kang.
The toes of these tennis shoes are adorned with flying pigs.
Other guests included Karen Merrels; Yvonne and Tom Goodwin; Kathleen Kovacs; Areka and Tim Foster; Weezie and Blake Stoddard; Laurie and Tom Van Wormer; Carole Del Signore; Jorge Gallardo; Gretchen LeBoutillier; Molly and Scott Thompson; Toledo Museum Director Brian Kennedy and his wife, Mary; Toledo Ballet Executive Director Mari Davies and her husband, John.
The estimated net is $38,000 for the school programs. In addition, $11,000 was raised for student scholarships for additional arts education.
Sponsors included Heartland, Rudolph/Libbe, and The Blade.
THE MIX VERTICAL: Way Up to the Top of Toledo took place last month on the 27th and 28th floors of One SeaGate to benefit the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo. The floor-to-ceiling windows with the bird's-eye view of the city set the scene for the 600 guests and 100-plus volunteers, artists, and entertainers.
Original works of more than 50 local artists were auctioned.
The Low Down Brass Band from Chicago performs at Mix Vertical. From left, Shane Jonas on trumpet, Lance Loiselle on tuba, David Agee on drums, David Leine on baritone sax, and Toledo native Chris Neal on tenor sax.
Entertainment included the city's top talents, from native Chris Neal's Low Down Brass Band, now based in Chicago, the Nu-Tones, Slow Burn, jazz guitarist Jason Quick, and the Wet Sun Light Show, accompanied by dancers from Paulette's Studio of Dance.
Raffle prizes included an art bench created by the Young Artists at Work program, plus dining, sports and entertainment packages.
Some of Toledo area's best restaurants and caterers tempted the taste buds.
Event chairmen were Mary Larkin, Dave Parrish, and Sarah Skow with honorary chairmen Paul Clark, Mary Martin, and John Sluhan.
The approximately $50,000 that was raised will benefit the activities of the ACGT, including Young Artists at Work, Artomatic 419, Meet and Greets, Art in TARTA, and the Parkwood Gallery.
Sponsors included the Ohio Arts Council, HCR Manor Care, Heidelberg Distributing, R/P Marketing Public Relations, The Andersons, Joe Clark Law, Hanson Inc., KeyBank, Mansour Wealth Management, Cooper & Walinski, LPA, Findley Davies, Aly Sterling Philanthropy, and many many more.
The crowd on the 27th floor enjoys the DJ at the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo's Mix Vertical.