ARTcetera 2005

The seventh annual ARTcetera was held on Friday, September 23^rd.  Diane Bodin-Link and Cameron Fryer, co-chairs of ARTcetera 2005, took the event to record-breaking heights with strong leadership and innovative ideas.  The most striking of these was embodied in the 2005 signature items, a trio of custom built plahouses that raised $50,000 during the auction. 

The sold out crowd of 290 attendees were dazzled by the artistic displays of the Wall of Wine and auction items in the beautiful Harbor Side Ballroom of the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center.  The “Wall of Wine,” donated by members of the community, was again given away as collections at the conclusion of the evening.  The silent and super silent auctions featured an interesting selection of original jewelry and regional art as well as a wide variety of merchandise and services.

The feast, created by chef Paul Madsen, featured lobster-tail broiled with candied ginger and mango butter,chef-carved tenderloin of beef with specialty sauces and toppings, and chef-carved French rack of lamb perfumed with rosemary. A deep chocolate lava cake and variety of fine cordials finished the meal and ushered in the live auction.

The excitement of the evening began with a surprise announcement by Dave Gaddie of Republic Bank's $600,000 gift to the hospice house and continued to build as auctioneer Kurt Johnson returned again to lead the audience through a lively auction.  The 32 luxury items, including several one-of-a-kind dining experiences, the chance to have a character in William Kent Krueger's next novel named after you, several vacation opportunities including a trip to Hawaii, as well as the playhouses, kept everyone glued to their seats during the auction. 

After expenses, ARTcetera 2005 raised over $231,000 for the Miller-Dwan Foundation's campaign to build the first residential hospice house for our region.  For more information on the project, click here.

2005 PHOTO ARCHIVES