Arbor Day art auction raises nearly $4,000

In conjunction with the 2008 Arbor Day celebration last weekend, the art reception and auction by the First Best Place Task Force on Friday evening raised nearly $4,000 for the group and the Community Tree program for Columbia Falls. The event was hosted by Terri Baker of Arrowhead Fine Art and Framing, and was well attended.

More than a dozen major pieces of art were generously donated by several artists, including Monte Yellow Bird, Allen Jimmerson, Mark Ogle, Lisa Schaus, George Bland, Jean Hand Triol, Liz Bishop and Juan De Santa Anna. The items were purchased in a lively auction. In addition, there was a silent auction of items donated from several local businesses.

Yellow Bird highlighted the evening with a presentation about his work teaching in schools, the inspiration for his art, and a description of The Tree of Life, an original oil painting that he painted specifically for this event, and which was auctioned off as the main event of the evening. A dramatic, but lighthearted, bidding battle over the painting built between Sally Petersen, owner of Funtastic Finds on Nucleus Avenue, and City Manager Bill Shaw, with Shaw holding out to be the victor.

The reception also featured live music by Jonathan Jenkins, and a large offering of food and desserts, generously donated by Petersen, Anne Scott-Markle, Cimarron Catering, Barb Jenkins and Pepperidge Farms.

The funds raised from the auction event will support the ongoing development of a Community Tree program for the city. Columbia Falls has now met the four standards required to be designated as a Tree City, USA by the Arbor Day Foundation. This designation will create opportunities for training, education and support from the Foundation, and will expand access to various grant and funding sources to help continue to build the community forest for Columbia Falls. The goals of the Community Tree program include protecting and maintaining our existing tree inventory, and adding more trees to our urban forest.

The Task Force is currently assisting the City of Columbia Falls in conducting a tree inventory, to identify all of the existing trees in the urban interface. The goal of the tree program is to plant boulevard canopy trees along all of the major avenues of Columbia Falls. The recently appointed Tree Board is working to develop a Master Planting Map, with proposed planting locations for new trees throughout the city. The group is seeking volunteers to help with the tree development program, as well as donors who wish to sponsor new plantings and the other efforts of the program. In addition, business and landowners in Columbia Falls who wish to dedicate a place on their street front for a new tree planting should contact the Task Force at 250-6100 or e-mail barryconger@firstbestplace.org.