During the Bear Fest Auction paddles flew, good spirited competitive bidding was had, and bears were won. Winning the highest bid was artist Crystal Popko’s Luminous Bear, sold for $4,150. Popko’s work continues to be popular — her bear won the highest bid in the 2009 Bear Fest Auction. Other notable winning bids were Wade Clement’s Beehive Beardo going for $3,000, Amalia FourHawks won for $2,900, and Victoria Chapman’s Spirit Bear sold for $2,751.

The silent bidding of the 18-inch table top bears, decorated by students in Easthampton, Southampton, and Westhampton, continued after the live auction. Top selling baby bears were A-mazing Bear by Christianna Gardner of Easthampton High School and Bumble Bear by Cole Crouch of White Brook Middle School, both going for $500 or more. The total funds raised by the table top bears will go back to the public school art programs of Easthampton, Southampton, and Westhampton.

Easthampton City Arts+ and the Bear Fest committee would like to thank the Greater Easthampton Community and beyond for their unwavering support of Bear Fest , beginning with the Unveiling in June to the Auction in September. The 2012 Easthampton Bear Fest was made possible by generous sponsors, talented artists, dedicated volunteers, and tremendous community support.

Awarded funds from the Bear Fest Auction will be announced during the ECA+ annual Light Up the Arts Holiday Bash on December 6th, from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the Historic Town Hall located at 43 Main Street, Easthampton, MA. This event is open to the public and the community is invited to attend.

Image by Pat Brough

The 2012 Bear Fest Live Auction Winning Bids

A Bear in Sheep’s Clothing $900
Artie Bear $375
Bear Crossing $750
Bear HeART $575
Bear in Landscape $575
BEAR4ALL2C $400
Bearing the Fruits of the Harvest $2,900
Bearly Giggling  $375
Beehive Beardo  $3,000
Birch Bear $800
Clown Bear $450
Dia Del Oso Muerto $775
From Ribbons to Thorns  $1,525
Fun & Games Bear $600
Gilda Bear $550
Go Figure! $600
Klimt Bear $550
Luminous Bear $4,150
Michelangelo’s Long Lost Captive Bear $600
Old School Biker Bear $375
Paisley Bear $400
Patches $616
Pete $675
Pieces and Patches $525
Rainbow Spot $500
Re-Pete $600
Respect Your Mother $1,025
Shakesbear $500
Spirit Bear $2,751
SteamPunk Bear $700
Steel Clad Bear $975
Stuart Bear $1,000
Sunny Bear’s Picnic $400
The 41st Bear $800
The Artist $800
The Bear Truth $775
Ursa Major $675
Viva Easthampton! $700
Whimsey Wilbear $700
Winter’s Lament  $600

Easthampton City Arts+ will hold its Bear Fest Live Auction and Gala on Sept. 20 at the Log Cabin restaurant, where 15 full size and 26 cubs will be on view from 6 to 8 p.m. The live auction is set to begin at 8 p.m.

Fifty-two Table Top Bears creatively transformed by students will also be on view at the event, but they will find their new homes through a silent auction, also to be held that evening.

Tickets for the event are $65 or $100 for those who wish to be event sponsors; sponsor’s names will appear in the auction program. The ticket price includes hors d’oeuvres and dinner.

“This will be the festive occasion that we have been working towards all summer. Finding new homes for these one-of-a-kind artist-created sculptures that have graced our streets and businesses will be a new beginning for the works of art. We hope to surpass the 2009 auction and give ample funds to schools and artists,” said ECA+ coordinator Burns Maxey, who is overseeing the largely volunteer-based fundraiser.

Tickets will be available at the door.

The Easthampton Bear Fest is a public art project in which life-size fiberglass bears are creatively transformed by locally- and nationally-known artists. The 2012 bears have been on view in Easthampton, attracting visitors with cameras, since June.

The 2009 Easthampton Bear Fest also brought thousands of visitors to Easthampton and raised over $60,000 for artists, art education and art organizations.

Learn more about Lynn Hraba’s process and inspiration in the Q & A below:

Name?

Lynn M.  Hraba

What town/city do you live in?

West Springfield

Where is your studio? What is your usual artistic focus/genre, when you aren’t working on a bear?

My home is my “studio.”   I work with pen and ink / fine line markers when not involved with a fiberglass bear!

What was the process you used on the bear?

I used acrylic paints for the bear.   It was important for the bear to be “young people (in age and heart) friendly,” so there are a few bear jokes painted on the body.

What materials did you use and why did you choose them?

…only paint…

What is the theme for your bear and what was the inspiration?

The theme is beautiful colors and silliness!

What have you loved about the project?

I loved watching this cold fiberglass shape turn into a character with personality!

In what ways do you hope your bear will move the folks who view it?

…with giggles and maybe a few groans…bear jokes tend to be a little goofy.

What else would you like to say about your project or the Bear Fest as a whole?

I am so happy to be a small part of this project…I have enjoyed getting to know the Easthampton community.

Easthampton City Arts+ presents the Parade of the Bears for a final view of the 2012 Easthampton Bear Fest sculptures on September 8, 2012, 5:30-7:00 p.m. during Art Walk Easthampton.

Visitors, artists, and community members will kick-off the final days of the Bear Fest with a celebratory viewing of the artists-created bear sculptures seen throughout the city. The sidewalk parade will commence with the Expandable Brass Brand leading the group at 5:30 p.m. at The Old Town Hall, 43 Main Street in Easthampton. This will be the last chance for bear lovers to see the 92 bear sculptures on view throughout the streets of Easthampton and in businesses throughout Easthampton, Westhampton, and Southampton.

Visitors will also be able to pick up Bear Fest t-shirts, miniaturized paint-your-own Bear sculptures, posters and additional Bear Fest memorabilia to commemorate the 2012 Bear Fest.

The Bear sculptures will thereafter be removed from their logs and prepared for the Bear Fest Gala and Live Auction on September 20th at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. Tickets for the Gala and Auction may be purchased online here or at the ECA+ Gallery, 43 Main Street, Easthampton, MA for $65 per ticket.

The event, which will also feature the Easthampton High School Band, is sponsored by the Greater Easthampton Chamber of Commerce, the Easthampton Cultural Council and Easthampton Bear Fest 2012.

Allyson has released a dozen albums on Concord Jazz over the course of two decades and has been nominated three times for a Grammy in the Best Jazz Vocal Album category. She believes that the emotional connection that takes place in a small, quiet club during the late hours is one of the best parts of the jazz experience.

Tickets are $15. Purchase tickets.

Read more about Pliska’s process and inspiration in the Q & A below:

Name?

Samantha Pliska

What town/city do you live in?

Easthampton

Where is your studio? What is your usual artistic focus/genre, when you aren’t working on a bear?

I currently do not have a “formal” studio, just a room where my art supplies happen to be.

My focus in art is very chaotic, I love to try new techniques and I change up mediums as often as I change clothes. At this time I am working on painting images from movies, assemblage with found items, and lowbrow art illustrations.

What was the process you used on the bear?

Spray paint, followed by painting, gilding, gold leafing (removing gold leafing) and adding the tiles and cabochons.

What materials did you use and why did you choose them?

The materials I used were Liquitex soft and heavy body paints, gold gilding paint, Liquitex spray paint, small tiles and cabochons. I did use gold leafing, but the results were less than desired, so I had to remove it. I chose these supplies based on what I thought would be the best for my bear.

What is the theme for your bear and what was the inspiration?

The theme for my bear is Gustav Klimt. I had started with a bear sketch including some 15 artists for the bear, then when I noticed the Klimt section of the bear sketch, I fell in love. It was the last sketch I had entered for the Bear Fest artist search. I am a big fan of Klimt, the one piece that spoke to me most for this project which was the Tree Of Life. From that painting, I took different elements and painted them all over my bear. Other Klimt pieces can also be seen as I used them for referencing Klimt’s shapes and colors.

What have you loved about the project?

I loved every aspect of the project, from entering sketches to pulling off the last piece of paint tape. I was sad to drop off Gus, (Klimt Bear’s nickname) but I am so excited to see him out and about with all the other amazing bears.

In what ways do you hope your bear will move the folks who view it?

I can only hope that someone will become inspired by my bear.

What else would you like to say about your project or the Bear Fest as a whole?

This was an amazing experience and opportunity; I hope this event will continue on as a tradition.

I would love Bear Fest attendees to be enthralled by public art and want to see more of it or even be encouraged to create art themselves.

Read more about the artist’s inspiration and process in the Q & A below:

Name?

Victoria Chapman

What town/city do you live in?

Greenfield

Where is your studio? What is your usual artistic focus/genre, when you aren’t working on a bear?

I work out of my house in the woods of Greenfield. 

When not working on a bear, I do a variety of artistic and creative work.  I’m an illustrator and artist with my favorite medium being watercolors.  I tend to work much smaller than the bear.  My art often focuses on spiritual and nature themes with a very colorful and flowing quality about it.

I’m also a hand crafter.  I sell my handmade work out at local craft events, the Greenfield Farmer’s Market, some local shops and on Etsy.  My product includes prints, cards and other products made with my art, hand drawn batik t-shirts, elven style head jewelry, sewn cloaks and capes, herbal hot/cold packs and more.

Otherwise, I make my living as a graphic and web designer, working with a variety of organizations, businesses and people throughout western MA and beyond.

To see more of what I do, my website is: www.weyakindesigns.com

What was the process you used on the bear?

The first step for Spirit Bear was to sculpt the six feathers to hang from the bear’s arms.  I made a frame of steel wire, masking tape and paper to form the general shape of each feather.  Then, sculpted over that frame with an epoxy putty, which is very hard when it dries.  Then, I attached the feathers to the arms, wrapping many layers of a smaller gauge steel wire around the arms and looping the feathers through, similar to wire jewelry making, but larger.  Following that, to create a smooth surface again and ensure the feathers are attached securely, I sculpted over the layers of wire with more epoxy putty and then auto-body filler.  Since it wasn’t exactly smooth when done, I then had to sand my little heart out until the arms were relatively smooth again.

Once the sculpture process was done, I put a layer of gesso over the entire bear to give it all an even painting surface.  Then, the artwork! I started by creating pencil and marker outlines all over the entire bear to mark out where everything should be.  Following that, I painted and painted and painted with several layers, making sure the colors were solid, vibrant and blended smoothly.  I did my own layer of clear coat on the bear after all the artwork was done, before sending it to have auto-body clear coat done by Full Tilt.

Some of you may have noticed that during the process, I also had a live streaming web cam available for people to watch me work.  That was a new experience for me, but it made it fun! I was able to reach out to people and let them take a peek into how I work.

What materials did you use and why did you choose them?      

For the sculpted parts, I chose the steel wire, because it’s sturdy and it makes a good base.  I chose the epoxy putty at the recommendation of another Bear Fest artist, who had used it in 2009.  When it dries it is very solid and once painted, is also UV resistant.  I also heard it holds up well to the elements in general.

For the paint, I chose acrylics.  I normally work with watercolors, which isn’t realistic for working on the bear.

What is the theme for your bear and what was the inspiration?

I named my bear “Spirit Bear” after the rare Kermode bear from the Pacific Northwest.  One in every ten Kermode bears come out white.  To the native people of that area, they are known as Spirit Bears.  They are very sacred and are protected by the people as they are seen as spiritual messengers.

My Spirit Bear incorporates many natural elements of land, water and sky, including creatures, plants and even the Earth’s inner core, as well as the great heavens above.  Worked into the flowing landscapes are common symbols of native tribes of the American Southwest.  I chose these symbols because they are more universally known and represent natural resources as well as spiritual messages.  The Zuni Bear in the center of the tree, for example, is the most prominent.  The Zuni Bear is associated with healing and protection, which is something the Earth needs greatly.  It is blue because the bear is also associated with the west and blue is the color of the west in Zuni medicine.

At the back base of the bear, I included a proverb, which reads “The frog does not drink up the pond in which he lives.” We cannot drink up our pond, the Earth, or else we too will have no home.

What have you loved about the project?

I’ve loved being able to spend a lot of time doing what I love most–making art! I also love that I can spread a message about something I’m passionate about through my art and have the public see it.  It’s very powerful knowing that what I have created will be available for thousands of people to see and that I can say something to those people, using art as my medium.  It’s extra nice knowing that my art is also going to a good cause and that I can help make a difference within our community through something that I made with my two hands.

In what ways do you hope your bear will move the folks who view it?

I hope that Spirit Bear will make people stop and say, “Wow, this land is full of beautiful things.” Perhaps in that moment of beauty, it will instill inspiration to do something to preserve what we have, even if in a small, individual way.  Plant a tree, donate to a land trust or even just give thanks for what we have so that we all can appreciate it more.

What else would you like to say about your project or the Bear Fest as a whole?

I’m so honored to be part of such a wonderful event.  Bear Fest is an example of the close-knit community we have in Western Mass that I’m so happy to be a part of.  We live in a unique area where art is appreciated and artists are given opportunities to do really amazing things for themselves and for the community.

The 2009 Bear Fest while proving to be a huge success was slightly tainted by a number of bear thefts. While some of the stolen bears were sadly never recovered, perhaps the most unfortunate incident was of the sculpture that did resurface. Bearly There, aka Chrome Bear by artist Michael MacTavish, stolen from his post within 24 hours of installation, was recovered months later in a state that many thought was damaged beyond repair.

Enter man about town and 2009 and 2012 Bear Fest artist and volunteer, Gary LaCroix. LaCroix heroically took on the task of mending the vandalized bear back to its original blank state. LaCroix is no stranger to bear repairs. Gary says, “My first bear, Mountain Park Bear, lost his arm in an accident during the 2009 Bear Fest, so I had experience repairing him. It has given me a sense of satisfaction to restore The 41st Bear, aka White Bear, to take part in celebrating 2012 Bear Fest.” Since then Gary has been the foremost bear repair expert on the maintenance committee.

Following its completion, the bare bear has taken on numerous pet names amongst Bear Fest volunteers from “Naked Bear” to “Buster” to “Tabula Rasa”. At the Bear Fest Auction on September 20th at the Log Cabin, the highest bidder will be able to give the bear a permanent name as well as a unique design. “This is an unexpected occurrence for the 2012 Bear Fest. There have been numerous artists and businesses ask if they could create their own design on a bear after the 2012 Bear Fest submissions had already been juried and selected. Here is their opportunity to transform the unknown bear. However, they must be the winning bidder at the auction.” says Burns Maxey, ECA+ Coordinator.

Tickets to the Bear Fest auction can be purchased  online and the ECA+ Gallery at 43 Main Street, Easthampton, MA, 01027.

If there was a weekend in the month of August to have a staycation in Easthampton this would be the one.  On Saturday, August 11th, there are three exciting events taking place in collaboration with Easthampton Bear Fest and Art Walk Easthampton.  The events are catered to a variety of tastes and ages, so there’s a little something for everyone.  Dance lover? Indie-music aficionado? Film buff? Picnic fan? Hungry? Young at heart? Children’s picture book enthusiast? We’ve got you covered!

First up: Join the Pioneer Valley Ballet (PVB) on August 11, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. for the video installation Detected/Interrupted projected on an alley wall in between Popcorn Noir at 32 Cottage Street, Easthampton and Mt. Tom’s Homemade Ice Cream. An artist reception will be held at Popcorn Noir’s newly opened café The Lobby during projection hours in conjunction with Art Walk Easthampton. This event is free and open to the public.

Next up: Join Easthampton City Arts+ and the Easthampton Bear Fest in a celebration of Buy Local, Eat Local at the Art Walk Easthampton Teddy Bear Picnic—a summertime community picnic around Nashawannuck Pond on August 11, from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. If you act fast you can still can register to win one of 6 available prize picnic baskets at Big E’s Supermarket.  The cupcake truck, SugarBakers Cake Truck, will be stationed nearby to provide sweet treats. Children are encouraged to bring their favorite Teddy bear to share in the festivities and the band Shiprock and Anchordog Acoustic Greatness will be performing live for picnic goers.

Last but not least:  In conjunction with the Teddy Bear Picnic and Art Walk Easthampton, Lucy Mueller Young, illustrator of the book Pink Bear, will be reading at White Square Books at 6:00 p.m. Pink Bear is one of the many wonderful gifts included in the prize picnic baskets.

With so much going on, there’s simply no excuse not to go out, have fun, and bear witness to some of the wonderful events happening this weekend!

Today’s modern world is very technology driven with people spending more and more of their time staring at some kind of screen trying to stay connected and informed.  All the while, they sometimes miss out on the details and beauty of the natural world they inhabit.  Artist Phoebe Siter created Birch Bear to serve as a reminder for us to slow down, take a walk in the woods, and listen to the world breathe.

Learn more about her inspiration and artistic process in the Q & A below:

Name?

Phoebe Siter

What town/city do you live in?
Springfield

Where is your studio? What is your usual artistic focus/genre, when you aren’t working on a bear?

My studio is in my home. I enjoy painting things from nature; flowers, landscapes, animals.  I also enjoy doing all things crafty, sewing, making and painting pottery and making useful art.

What was the process you used on the bear?

I started with just wanting to capture the birch texture.  I added the chickadee and flowers and created a little woodland scene.

What materials did you use and why did you choose them?

I stuck with what I’m comfortable with which is paint and polymer clay and epoxy clay.  I enjoy copying real life with paint and I love sculpting.

What is the theme for your bear and what was the inspiration?

My theme is called “Birch Bear.” Ever since I was little I have loved the textures and smells of the woods.  I love the tiny worlds of mosses and lichens and the strange little things you find growing in the woods if you look really carefully.  My research for “Birch Bear” involved a lot of walks in the woods!

A nice surprise right after I turned in my bear, we had a little chickadee move in to our birdhouse right after mother’s day to start her own family.

What have you loved about the project?

Getting the chance to meet other artists and share my work with everyone.  I’ve never really tried to paint birch texture before so it was I challenged myself to really inspect and get to know what it looks like.  I spent a lot of Zen moments contemplating birch paper peels.

In what ways do you hope your bear will move the folks who view it?

I want it to remind people to look slowly and closely at the natural world around us.  Take the time to stroll through the woods and spend a quiet moment listening to the leaves rustle and the world breathe.

What else would you like to say about your project or the Bear Fest as a whole?            

I really love the public art projects going on around the valley. I’m so honored to be part of it and hope it catches on with more towns.