Auction showcases new home while raising money for children

LAKE FOREST PARK

Home is where the art was April 13 as people roamed throughout a new house showcasing a silent art auction to raise money for child abuse prevention and education.

The event was organized by Georgia Colton, executive director of Innocents Among Us, a Canada-based nonprofit children’s advocacy organization focused on preventing child abuse. The fundraiser was the first in the Seattle area and more than 20 different artists participated.

Among the artists in attendance were Leon White, who paints and sculpts from stone and bronze, and Elsa Bluethner, a Canadian artist whose paintings reflect an impressionistic style. White’s art has been featured at the Edmonds Art Gallery and Bluethner will give a presentation of her work on April 22 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the gallery.

According to Colton, every artist was asked to set their rock-bottom prices and a portion of their proceeds was donated to Innocents Among Us.

“We sincerely believe everything has to be fair to everybody involved,” she said.

Invited guests walked from room to room in the not completely constructed new home while sipping Australian wine donated by Penfolds and snacking on Vietnamese spring rolls made by Eric Knadler of West Seattle.

Lake Forest Park residents Corina Rachina and her husband, Paul, are owners of R2 Homes, the company that built the new home located at 32nd Avenue Northeast in Lake Forest Park. When Colton and real estate agent Judy Gratton asked the couple if they would be interested in participating in the fundraiser, the couple was glad to help.

“We’re a small company but maybe the big ones should be approached and there are quite a few that have the potential for this,” Rachina said. “I’m really happy we did this.”

The owners of the new house gave their permission to hold the event in their home, Rachina said. Although the home was not for sale, the artwork displayed throughout the home and a motorcycle and a car from Campbell Nissan were available for auction.

Students from Edmonds-Woodway High School also attended the event, showing their support for a commercial length Innocents Among Us production titled “Why We Cry” produced by four students at Edmonds-Woodway High School. The production will be entered in contests and eventually turned into a full-length documentary, student Angel Rogers said.