Live and Silent Auction
Live Auction Pieces
Jill Stefani Wagner is a professional artist painting in oil and pastel who creates outdoors and in her studio, always focusing on the “light.” She’s an avid plein air artist, inspired by the American and Italian landscape and her paintings are in collections in the U.S. and Europe. A UofM graduate with a BFA in Art, she lives in Saline, MI and is represented by 5 art galleries in Michigan.
Water's Edge - Jill Wagner
Teaching Statement: I love Glass. I love to watch it move, to watch it glow. I have been watching it, working with it and thinking about it since 1998. I am striving to be in the symphony with what is possible with this material that allures me. If it takes me the rest of my life, I will happily show up to play some more.
Glassblowing - Acorn Glassworks
Leslie Sobel is a painter, mixed media artist, and printmaker whose work has been exhibited widely in galleries and art centers throughout the United States. Sobel's invidual practice has focused on the impact of climate change on ecosystems and bodies of water especially at the high latitudes for more than 25 years. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and a MFA from the University of Hartford in Hartford CT. Instagram: @sobelleslie
Stormy Lake Michigan II - Leslie Sobel
Dolores has been a stained glass and fused glass artist since the early 1970s. As a member of the Guild of Artists and Artisans, she has participated in numerous art fairs in Michigan and the Midwest. In the 1970s her stained glass work appeared in about 75 art galleries and giftshops internationally. She paused her artwork to return to teaching at Ann Arbor Pioneer HS until 2000, when she returned to the art field. Her work has been shown at art fairs, several local galleries and the Michigan Governor's Mansion.
Tapestry Style Bowl - Dolores McDole
Thomas (Tom) has been a stained and fused glass artist since the early 1970, first assisting his wife in stained glass, and the creating his own body of work. Upon retirement as an Associate Professor of Technology and Vocational Education at EMU in 2004, He has studied glasswork under reknowned teachers at the Corning Museum (NY) and Glass Craft and Bead Expo (NV). Tom has been active in creating fused glass art work and exhibiting at art fairs, in galleries, and through private commissions. In addition, Tom is an accomplished photographer.
Poppy Red - Thomas McDoyle
Bill Gordon is the proud owner of a sawmill and a woodshop, showcasiing his passion for woodworking through his craft. Speciaizing in custom woodwork, he is known for his exquisite custom tables that adorn many homes. He invites you to visit his shop (and his wife's neighboring home decor shop) on East Main in downtown Milan.
Coffee Table - Bill Gordon
Janice Milhem turned to photography and painting after a career in business. Her photographs generally precede any painting, as the photo serves as inspiration for her work on canvass. She has published two books of her photography and has participated in dozens of exhibitions and gallery showings of her work across the US.
Meltdown (1) - Janice Milhem
Silent Auction Pieces
It is pleasurable to look at non-narrative motion, like water on the ocean. I experimented witn line, composition, color while studying clothing & textile design at MSU. I studied botany while at U of M. I livedin London for five years exploring art. Today the biggest influence is the natural world with its idea and feeling of tranquility. Motion and geometry also play a part, as do 3D hangings fo silver, gold, and palladium leaf on small polyester squares of DuraLar. My piece RAIN won third place in Art Prize in 2011.
Pink Adrift - Lynda Cole
Photography is a meditative process. When I look through the lens, the rest of the world disappears." From an early age, my parents encouraged my love of photography. Their passion for gardening gave me endless inspiration, and I discovered serenity in the simplicity of nature’s details. Today, my work celebrates the intimate beauty of flowers—their colors, textures, and quiet geometry that often go unnoticed. Each image is a meditation on stillness and presence, revealing the extraordinary within the ordinary.
Untitled - Paul Koch
Valerie Mann is an American painter who has shown her work professionally in the US and abroad for 35 years. Her work has received numerous award and is in public and private collections in the US, Euroope, and Asia. Public collections include Google Ann Arbor, UM Museum of Art, South Bend Museum of Art, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital (AA), and the Saline Public Library.
Moonflowers and Roses - Valerie Mann
Since 1909, the Ann Arbor Art Center has sparked creativity in people of all ages and artistic abilities. Through innovative programming, provocative exhibitions, wide-ranging learning courses, and a shop offering handmade artorks, the A2AC engages over 60,000 poople annually in exploring the arts.
Date Night on the Wheel - A2AC
David Haffey, a native Michigander, and long-time Ann Arbor area resident, resumed an interest in drawing during the Covid shutdown. He quickly found his preferred medium in water-based, colored-ink marker pens on paper. David seeks out colorful scenes with captivating contrasts, shadows and reflections, creating detailed, realistic renditions of natural landscapes as well as urban settings. Spring Wildflowers was created to complete a set of renditions of seasons in Michigan, joining Through An Autumn Wood, Summer Calm, and Winter Woods.
Spring Wildflowers - David Haffey
Nora Venturelli was born in Rosario, Argentina; In 1968 she immigrated with her family to California. She has lived in both the US and Argentina ever since, studying abroad with Julio Vanzo. She has livedin Ann Arbor for 30 years, receiving BA in Fine Arts (UM) and MFA (EMU). She is currently a Lecturer II at UM Stamps School of Art & Design, teaching drawing and painting since 2002.
In My Garden Series - Nora Venturelli
At Geek Brush Studio in Chelsea, we believe painting should be joyful, stress-free, and for everyone--no matter your experience level. Our studio offers a warm, welcoming space when you can slow dow, tap into your creativity, and leave with a beautiful piece of art you made yourself.
Class Certificate - Geekbrush
Julie Schnell Madden is a ceramic artist whose inventive work—from elegant functional vessels to powerful sculptural forms—has been exhibited nationally and internationally. She teaches ceramics at the Ann Arbor Art Center and frequently exhibits at 22 North Gallery, where her work captivates viewers with its beauty, intelligence, and fearless engagement with the political realities of our time.
Rosette - Julie Madden
As a landscape painter, I am always on the lookout for potential subject matter. Sometimes a Michigan landscape will be so lovely that I'm forced to pull over the car and take photos. Other times I'll go searching along the rivers, creeks, and lakes. Rural beauty has a poignancy and pull...so much of the countryside I grew up in is disappearing. Painting gives me the opportunity to really look and soak it in. I had a fulfilling career teaching high school art in Livonia. My degrees are from Albion (BA) and EMU (MArts Education).
Blue Barn - Connie Cronenwett
Megan Foldenauer is a medical and biological illustrator whose artwork pairs scientific observation with remarkable precision and wit. In a series of tiny paintings on commercial paint-color chips, she uses the color name as the prompt for exquisitely detailed images. Inspired by the color “Monet Magic,” this miniature playfully transforms a humble paint sample into a tiny homage to Monet’s water lilies.
