Art Show and Online Auction Begins July 23

July 13, 2022July 12, 20229 months ago The Hardwick Gazette 156 Views 2 min read

PEACHAM – The Joseph L. Smongeski art show and online auction will feature more than 35 paintings and drawings from the collection of the artist’s daughter, Josette Lyders of Peacham. The show at Peacham Library and Peacham Café will be up from July 1 through August 22, with a celebration and reception on July 23, at Peacham Library from 1 to 4 p.m. The online auction

bidding will run from July 23 through August 6.

Josette Lyders is offering the artwork as a fundraiser for Peacham Library via the online auction. She will donate all the proceeds to Peacham Library.

Joseph L. Smongeski (1914-2001) was born in Wisconsin, studied at the Chicago Art Institute, had a long career as a book designer in New York and Boston, taught adult art classes for decades, and had many exhibitions in several states during a career that spanned more than a half century. His artwork included portraiture, landscapes done en plein air, still life, and imaginative pieces. He delighted in painting trips to Vermont and northern New England.

Beginning July 1, the curated show of Smongeski’s work can be viewed in live exhibitions in the Gilmore Gallery at Peacham Library and in the Peacham Cafe, both in the center of Peacham. All artwork on display will be included in the online auction for preview in early July and for auction bidding beginning July 23. Bidding will commence at 1 p.m. on July 23 and will close at 1 p.m on August 6. The exhibits at Peacham Library and Peacham Café will stay up until Monday, August 22. On this day, pieces won by the high bidders in the auction will be released for pickup by their new owners at Peacham Library.

For an additional fee, winners who cannot get to Peacham for pickup may email director@peachamlibrary.org to arrange for the art to be packaged and shipped.

A special auction kickoff celebration and tour of the exhibits will be held on July 23, from 1 to 4 p.m. to coincide with the opening of bidding. There will be an additional micro-mini art sale at the library, gallery conversations with Lyders, auction information, and refreshments. Computers and volunteers will be available in the Peacham Library during the celebration to demonstrate how to access the online bidding.

For more information, visit peachamlibrary.org or email director@peachamlibrary.org.