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First Posted: 3/7/2012

Work by local artists will join the likes of Renoir and Picasso at the Rotary Club of the Abingtons Gala Art Auction March 23 at 6:30 p.m. at Glen Oak Country Club.

Event co-chairs Don Myer of Newton Twp. and Norbert Mayr of South Abington Twp. said this is the first art auction the Rotary has sponsored and they hope to make it an annual event.

They explained that the idea was posed by Rotary president Roger Mattes, who had heard of a similar event sponsored by a Rotary branch in York. Since the idea was a success, Mattes pitched the idea to Rotary Club of the Abingtons. He asked Myer and Mayr to chair the event.

“It’s been a lot of fun and a lot of work,” they said. “It’s been fun bringing people together. We work well together, too.”

The two chair people are being helped by Rotary members Leah Rudolph and T’Shaiya Stephenson, who are handling publicity and ad sales respectively.

Myer has been a member of the Rotary for five years and has been involved in a number of events, including the annual Taste of the Abingtons and the Rotary spaghetti dinner, although he has never chaired an event. For Mayr, this event comes during only his first year as a member of Rotary.

“I joined to get active in something,” Mayr explained. “I just didn’t realize it would happen so soon.”

He added that events, such as the upcoming auction, are “good for the community and good for the soul.” Myer shared his sentiment.

“It’s the reason we joined (Rotary),” he said.

Mayr explained that Rotary hopes to raise between $2,500 and $3,000 from the art auction. A large portion of the proceeds will go toward the global Rotary campaign to eradicate polio. The rest will help fund local Rotary events and causes.

Framed art work for the auction will be supplied by Marlin Art. A portion of the proceeds from Marlin will be given to Rotary. Visit www.marlinart.com and purchase art using the code 41027 to ensure credit to Rotary.

Joining the art from Marlin will be work by several local artists. Barbara Dexter, Jean Drack, Sarah Miller, Albert Ondush and Larry Sarno will have paintings featured at the auction.

Dexter is a local musician who teaches harp, piano and organ. She took up oil painting as a “new” hobby in her 50s. At present she studies with MaryLou Chibirka. Drack, a Clarks Summit painter, has been active on the local art scene for years. Working in oil and acrylics, she favors landscapes and wild life scenes. Miller is a local artist who enjoys landscape painting. Her work appears in private collections throughout the Northeast. She studied art at The American University and at the Corcoran gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Ondush is a professional artist and art educator since 1950. He has studied with world-renowned artists such as Xavier Gonzalez, Everett R. Kinstler, Edgar Whitney and others.

Along with the art will be a separate silent auction featuring ten items donated by members of the community. Items will include gift certificates to Patsel’s and Bazil restaurants and a gift basket from Everything Natural.

The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a “social hour” featuring wine and cheese. During this time, guests can browse the paintings and silent auction items. At 7:30 p.m., the auction will officially begin. Admission is $10, which includes the wine and cheese. Tickets will be sold at the door, although Myer and Mayr explained that calling ahead is preferred. All major credit cards will be accepted for the auction.

The Glen Oak Country Club is located at 250 Oakford Rd., Clarks Summit. For information, contact Leah Rudolph at [email protected].