Painters participate in farmhouse fundraiser

The Phillippi Estate Park was inundated with artists last week during the Light Chasers: Plein Air Painters of the Sun Coast’s annual paint-off.

About 70 artists, some local residents and some from as far as the Panhandle, participated in the Quick Draw contest at Phil- lippi Estate Park. Artists had two hours to create a painting based on a landscape at the park. Bill Farnsworth, a master artist from Venice, judged the Quick Draw entries. Joseph Palmerio and Shawn McLaughlin, both residents of Sarasota, won first and second respectively.

The Light Chasers held a gala Friday night with paintings for sale — both artwork from the Quick Draw and others from the artists’ individual collections — and had two art shows Saturday and Sunday, at the Edson Keith Mansion.

As many as 2,000 people visited the mansion and the park for the events, Jane Kirschner-Tuccillo, advisory board member of the Sarasota County Historical Society, said. Approximately 30 paintings were sold at the shows, not including the artwork people bought off the easels during the Quick Draw. Paintings at the show were priced between $175 to $15,000 each, Kirschner-Tuccillo said. A percentage of the sales was donated to the farmhouse.

The combination of sales raised more than $10,000 for the farm- house restoration, said Terry Mason, president of the Light Chasers.

Mason saw the benefits of the events at Phillippi Estate Park as twofold: raising funds for the farmhouse and promoting the park as an arts hub. After last week, eight other arts groups have asked to hold shows there, she said.

“We just proved to the county, it would be a smashing hit to do that,” Mason said.

When Mason became president of the organization five years ago there were only five artists in the organization. Now, there are hundreds.

“Our group believes everyone picks up a brush for the first time,” Terry Mason, president of the Light Chasers, said. “Your level doesn’t matter. Our rule is: Be kind.”

Additional donations

Next year the Keith Farmhouse will celebrate its 100th anniversary, and other community organizations are also helping with the fundraising effort to restore the historic building in time for its birthday celebration in November 2016. The farmhouse needs updates to its electricity, plumb- ing and insulation; the county also hopes to erect educational displays for the public.

The Phillippi Farmhouse Market, a farmers market held Wednesdays from October to April, donated $60,767.10 to the restoration project in October. By the end of this season, the farmers market board of directors will give Sarasota County another $15,000 to help with the restorations, said Fred Whitehouse, treasurer.

Patty Gergen, a manager with Sarasota County Parks and Recreation, previously estimated the restorations will cost at least $100,000.