Auctions are live!

Just a sampling of the wonderful items available for your consideration.

Art & Elegance presents the 2020 “The Show Must Go On” Art Auction with these fine selections donated by the artists and individuals noted.  All proceeds will support the programs and facilities – the Ice House – of the Morgan Arts Council.

Place your bids and check back often.  The auction is open for seven days – ending Midnight Wednesday November 25th.  Those with winning bids will be notified after the auction closes and items may be picked up at the Ice House.

May the odds ever be in your favor!

Visit the Auctions Page here!

Things are happening!

Yes, we’re doing prize photography!

What’s going on here? Why prize photography of course! Even thought we’re not able to have a fabulous gala this year, we’re still absolutely going to have an auction. And we’re going to be getting the details to you real soon now. Our task force of caffeine-addled squirrels are manically spinning their wheels pulling the details together.

We’ve been collecting some lovely contributions from our local artists and merchants. According to the photographer, there are some rather nice items to be had, including another monumental sculpture by one of our 2019 Featured Artists, Mark Schwenck.

Stay tuned, more to come!

We’re Back!

The A&E Committee and MAC hopes that every one of you out there has been staying safe and healthy during these strange times. It certainty hasn’t been boring!

As you may have guessed by now, due to the current state of the world we will not be having our traditional A&E gala this year. But as we all know, the Show Must Go On so we are reaching out to our patrons and sponsors for their continued support. 

Last year we raised $27,000 for the Ice House and Morgan Arts Council. This year, by necessity, we’ll be doing some things a bit different.

Stay tuned and watch for more!

Something … Cool

Last time out we mentioned a surprise that represented a collaboration between the business and artistic communities that make Berkeley Springs such a magical place! The Morgan Art’s Council’s captive designer Kurt Griffith designed a can label for Berkeley Springs Brewing Company’s special edition Coolfont Cream Ale, celebrating the rebirth of Coolfont Resort.

A portion of the sales from the limited run of these cans of Coolfont Cream Ale will benefit the Morgan Arts Council! Every guest at Art & Elegance 2019 received a complementary can of the ale, along with a custom MAC Can Cozy with our compliments.

And yes, the Committee did indeed taste test the ale, and found it quite worthy! Hats off to Karl and Denise Wagenbrenner.

Thank you all for your support! More to come from A&E 2019!

Two Days Out!

We’re two days out and the Committee had been busy like coffee-addicted squirrels getting ALL THE THINGS ready for the big night. Yesterday we moved prized, raffle items, decorations, tickets and much of everything we need for the event. Art is prepped. The Program has gone to press. Prizes and raffle items are collected. Performers booked. The Country Inn’s chefs are busy at work.

We’re looking forward to a big night!

We also have something of a surprise for our guests. We’ll reveal more the night of, but it’s a result of another one of the amazing collaborations between the business and artistic communities that make Berkeley Springs such a magical place!

Meet Michael Cantori, Master Illusionist

Michael Cantori, Master Illusionist

Michael will be our Featured Performer at Art & Elegance 2019

Michael will also be providing a Matinee Performance at the Star Theatre, 2PM, Saturday November 9th.

Michael Cantori spent his formative years in both our nation’s capital and in Europe, with an exorbitant amount of time sequestered in his father’s subterranean workshop, “Dunninger’s Encyclopedia of Magic” in hand. He went on to receive a degree in engineering, while excelling in the martial arts as both a competitor and instructor. He quickly gave up a traditional career path for the art of mystification and prestidigitation while concurrently managing numerous small businesses within the arts, as well as teaching self-defense for various institutions.

In addition to being a full-time performer, Cantori has taught graduate level classes in magic and awareness at the University of Maryland, has read the fortunes of congressmen, senators, and rock stars, and finds the time to design & craft magical apparatus, which he has supplied to some of the finest illusionists in the world.
He continually challenges himself within the magical arts, ever searching for the best routines, insights, and mysteries to share with his audience. Thus, he is an avid historian, author and scholar of theatrical magic, science, health, and mysticism, extending great homage to past masters such as Alexander Herrmann, Karl Germain, Nate Leipzig, Anna Eva Fay, Alexander (the man who knows), Nicola Tesla, and … well, the list is quite grand.

Michael Cantori, Master Illusionist
www.cantorimagic.com | info@cantorimagic.com | 410-961-5903

Hooray For Our Early A&E Sponsors!

Sponsors are such a critical part of the success of Art & Elegance, we cannot thank them enough for their generosity and willingness to help us Get Art Out There!

The success of Art & Elegance is truly and mightily propelled by our amazing sponsors, many of who generously contribute year after year. Our Sponsors come through for us, and contribute so much. Thank you so very much, it is deeply appreciated! But we still need your help! Please consider becoming a patron of the arts and sponsoring Art & Elegance. Or if you know a generous soul or company willing to help, please send them our way!

Early sponsors are very much appreciated – and two weeks out these generous individuals, businesses and organizations help us so much! Thank you very very much! There is still time to get in on the magic, we’re accepting sponsors right to the end

Art & Elegance 2019 Sponsors as of October 26, 2019

Abracadabra – $3,000

Norberta Schoene & Bill Lands

Shazam – $2,000

Thom Rubel & Paul Salinas
Michael Dennis & Paul Smith
The Country Inn
CNB

Presto – $1,000

Judy & JC Fisher
Karen & Pete Brown
production glue
Clark’s Home Furnishings
Bob & Pat Marggraf
Jane McCloud

Alakazam – Patron

James & Denise Selby
Yenner & Brenda Erozan
Luella Andrews
Gale & Gareth Foulds
Massimo & Marilou Righini
Luke Christie Agency
Fiesta Fibers
Ian & Martha Volner

Become an A&E Sponsor!

We’re up to something…

…something Magical.

Save the Date! November 9, 2019.

We’re up to something… Magical. Please join us for MAC’s Premier Fundrasing event. We’re changing some things up. We’re planning… transformations to surprise and delight our guests. We’ll have more to share here and on facebook as things come together.

One change right away is that we’re changing the phone number for tickets to the Ice House number at 340 258-2300. Make it Ring!

This year’s Art & Elegance will feature a Magical Theme – so be prepared for prestidigitation, illusion, legerdemain, and even a little transformation and enchantment. The evening’s entertainments will be featuring a magical performance by Michael Cantori one of the region’s premier illusionists, whose wondrous entertainment astounds and amuses all ages.  Highly-skilled, personable and unique, his repertoire includes an audience-interactive blend of visual magic, superb sleight-of-hand, mental mysteries, magical lore, and a quick wit.  He’s entertained congressmen, senators, generals, rock stars and royalty, and has been featured in media such as The Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, Fox News, and The Washington Post. 

More to come! Stay tuned!

A&E Planing Committee.

Looking Back Forward

 Parisian Dance Revue “Rhythm of the Night” by Arts Triumphant Dance Theatre.
A&E 2018, “Rhythm of the Night” by Arts Triumphant Dance Theatre.

After catching our breaths over the winter, we had an opportunity to look back at Art & Elegance 2018.  Attendance numbers were about the same as last year, and between guests and donations, we raised over $36,000 for MAC, which represented a slight uptick from 2017. Well done!

We have gotten positive feedback from the event.  Of course everyone wishes that Mary had the time to sing more songs.  We did hear that the cheese table was not easy to find. We’re really sorry if you missed out, it was really trés magnifiqué! A highlight of the evening, in addition to the Jordan English Jazz Orchestra with Mary Hott, was the delightful Parisian Dance Revue “Rhythm of the Night” by Arts Triumphant Dance TheatreC’est bon! Merci, mademoiselles.

Our After Party where our sponsors and guests were able to celebrate with the Artists and the Committee was a lovely, relaxing evening as well.

Thank you, each and every one of you! We could not have done it without your support. That thanks is of course extended to everyone involved, Morgan Arts Council and MAC staffers, volunteers, The Country Inn, and all our sponsors and the generous donations of our local business community.

Un merci spécial à tous nos artistes et vendeurs contributeurs. – A special thank you to all our contributing artists and vendors.

We hope to see each and every one of you at the 2019 event!

Merci beaucoup!

A&E Organizing Committee

The Reveal

It’s been a couple of weeks since Art & Elegance 2018 – and the night was tres magnifique! Now that the event has passed, and we’ve caught our breath, a little, and enjoyed a little downtime with our families for Thanksgiving, we can let you see this delightful and whimsical piece from our featured artist Jonathan Heath.

“A MAC Evening in Paris” by Jonathan Heath
“A MAC Evening in Paris” by Jonathan Heath

The truly epic painting features a number of Berkeley Springs and Morgan county luminaries charmingly caricatured in Jonathan’s signature style.

The piece was the featured item in the live auction at the height of the evening and fetched over $3,500 for MAC. C’est bien! We’re looking forward to seeing many of our artists, sponsors and patrons at the after-party on December 13th to raise a glass and celebrate another successful event! So just a little more planning and number crunching to do.

Thank you so much to everyone who contributed, guests, artists, sponors, The Country Inn, patrons, performers, volunteers, the A&E Comitteee and of course, MAC. Each and very one of you makes this possible year over year. And the champange was yummy!

Merci beaucoup à tous nos artistes et vendeurs contributeurs et nos invités!