Auctioning Art For Affordable Housing
This past January, Tony Busalacchi turned 85 years old. To mark the milestone, the local artist and art collector decided to donate 85 works of art from his collection in imitation of St. Francis of Assisi and in benefit of Capuchin Community Services’ St. Anthony Apartments. “Francis of Assisi is my hero because he preached a sermon…not of words, but of action,” says Busalacchi, “Just as it was true in St. Francis’ day, we need more action; less words.”
Proceeds from the auctioned art will contribute to furnishing apartments for homeless and otherwise underserved individuals. The Capuchin Friars and Heartland Housing are refurbishing the old St. Anthony’s Hospital on 10th and State streets, where Busalacchi was born two years after its construction in 1931. Furnishing each apartment costs approximately $1,000, so the 85 works with minimum bids from $50 to $1,200 should make a handful of the 60 apartments occupant-ready.
Some of the 85 works are Busalacchi’s own creations, while others were collected over the course of his world travels with stops in China, Persia, India, Serbia, Egypt, South America, Russia and Poland. The auction will take place at the Cultural Arts Center located in St. John’s on the Lake (1840 N. Prospect Ave.), Saturday, March 17 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, March 18 from 1-5 p.m. The artworks can be viewed at capuchincommunityservices.org/artworks.
Colloquium on Art in Public Spaces
Campbell Student Union Auditorium
2001 Alford Park Drive, Kenosha
Among the countless cultural debates of 2017 was the contentious reevaluation of monuments in public spaces. Turns out a lot of those noble-looking bronze men were defenders and beneficiaries of the ignoble institution of slavery. As part of its annual Arts and Creativity Festival, Carthage College is hosting a panel of regional artists, scholars and arts administrators to discuss the complicated issue of art in public spaces. The colloquium will take place from 10 a.m. to noon on Friday, March 16.
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Ozaukee County Art Show
Cedarburg Cultural Center
W62 N546 Washington Ave., Cedarburg
The state of the arts in Ozaukee County is on display at the Cedarburg Cultural Center. Approximately 500 works—representing amateurs, professionals, adults, high schoolers, middle school and elementary school students—have been exhibited for the 71st annual Ozaukee County Art Show. The exhibition is on display through April 22, with an opening reception being held on Sunday, March 18, from 1-4 p.m.
