Thinking Inside the Box: Great Art for a Great Cause

The time-honored late summer tradition of the Box Art Auction benefiting East End Hospice will take place on Saturday, August 24, at St. Luke’s Church Hoie Hall in East Hampton.

“Over 85 artists on the East End have once again contributed their time, talent and singular creativity to produce unique works of portable art for this most worthy cause,” says Arlene Bujese, benefit chair.

Bujese reports that among the artists who have answered the call to create memorable boxes for this 23rd auction are several who have participated every year since the event’s inception and 11 others who are participating for the first time.

Among the veteran and new participating artists are Kirsten Benfield, Marilyn Church, Durrell Godfrey, Helen Harrison, Leif Hope, Carol Hunt, Dennis Leri, Christa Maiwald, Fulvio Massi, Roy Nicholson, Gabriele Raacke, Randall Rosenthal, Barbara Slate, Hans van de Bovenkamp and Dan Welden.

In preparation for this auction, artists are given small donated wooden cigar and wine boxes — using the box inside and out as a canvas or base. With styles ranging from traditional landscapes to abstract art, the art forms incorporated this year are ceramics, sculpture, painting, collage, assemblage, metal, photography and needlework on fabric.

The 2024 Spirit of Community Award will be presented at the benefit to Sandra Wagenfeld, a longtime supporter of the Box Art benefit.

Leading up to the benefit, the boxes can be previewed at Hoie Hall, 18 James Lane, East Hampton, on Wednesday, August 21, and Thursday, August 22, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Wednesday, August 21, from 5 to 7 p.m., the public is invited to a “Meet the Artists” preview reception at Hoie Hall.

At the benefit on Saturday, August 24, a silent auction will begin at 4:30 p.m. and the live auction will begin at 5:45 p.m., with Lucas Hunt as auctioneer. Wine and hors d’oeuvres are included in the $100 ticket price.

All proceeds from the event will benefit East End Hospice, which remains the only independent nonprofit provider of hospice care in the region, and which last year provided care for over 800 terminally ill patients, their families and loved ones living on the North and South Forks.

“This past year has brought about tremendous challenges for our community,” says Mary C. Crosby, president and CEO of East End Hospice. “Programs such as the Box Art Auction help ensure that every person facing loss has the expert, compassionate care they need at no cost to themselves or their family.”

The auction began 24 years ago, when over 100 artists with connections to East End communities were asked to take a small, unadorned box and create unique works of art that could be put up for bids at an auction to benefit East End Hospice. So successful was that first auction that it has been repeated annually — except during COVID-19 — and is well-established as a highlight of the late summer season.

The boxes to be auctioned can be viewed in advance on the East End Hospice website at eeh.org.