Telluride AIDS Benefit: Baerbel’s art auction

The girl can't help. For 16 years, Baerbel Hacke, director of the Telluride Gallery of Fine Art, has put together a silent art auction for the Telluride AIDS Benefit. This year's event takes place Friday, February 26, noon – 9 p.m. at the historic Sheridan Opera House.

Ever notice that the word "pain" is embedded in "painting?" The Telluride AIDS Benefit's auction, however, is a wonderful way to transform pain into gain for the nonprofit's six beneficiaries.

Since the "virus" was announced in the U.S. in April 1984, AIDS has served as an insistent muse for artists of every stripe. Art has played a major role in the Telluride AIDS Benefit because the event's muse, Robert Presley, was a walking talking sartorial hyperbole, a fabric artist who created over-the-top costumes and whimsical fiber art.

Art about AIDS is as varied as its many creators, however, it always springs from a very personal place. Hacke's show includes paintings, drawings, photography, furniture, fabric art, jewelry and other personal and home furnishings accessories, all donated by local, regional and national artists. This year's participants in alphabetical order include:

Additional works from the collections of: Ron Gilmer, Will Thompson, Elisabeth Gick, Steve Spitz, Baerbel Hacke , Patti & Thruston Morton, Todd & Diane Thompson.

Special thanks to Ron Gilmer; Brenton Long; Telluride Gallery of Fine Art; Michelle Montague; Michelle Curry Wright; Carisa Ames; Don Whitney, Gallerie Framing; Chuck Arguelles, Wizard Framing; Scott Chambers; Suzanne Cheavens; Janice Zink and Norman Squier.

"Once again I am awed by the generosity of our extended community, which never fails to make valuable art available at bargain prices," said Hacke. "The auction is a unique opportunity to acquire something wonderful for yourself and your home while helping others in dire need. I still feel Robert's spirit when I put on this wonderful show."