Masterpiece Ball to benefit Pend Oreille Arts Council

Get ready for an unforgettable night of fun and artistry at the Masterpiece Ball, on Friday, Oct. 24, at 6 p.m. at the Hive in downtown Sandpoint, to benefit the nonprofit Pend Oreille Arts Council.

Tickets are $50 and include champagne, hearty hors d’oeuvres and delectable desserts catered by Ivano’s, plus live music by local favorite Harold’s IGA.

As the organization’s only annual fundraising event, guests will have the opportunity to support the myriad community programs sponsored by POAC, including pivotal educational initiatives: Kaleidoscope visual art instruction in local elementary schools, Ovations performing arts access for students, affordable art classes for adults in the Joyce Dillon Studio, and Art for Life for area seniors.

POAC also hosts important annual community events: ArtWalk, the Arts & Crafts Fair in downtown Sandpoint, and the Artist Studio Tour. The 47-year-old arts organization also partners to support the free Sandpoint Summer Series in Farmin Park and Shakespeare in the Park. POAC’s gallery at 313 N. Second Ave. in Sandpoint showcases and supports local artists by displaying their work and hosting monthly gallery events.

The Masterpiece Ball theme invites attendees to dress up as their favorite artist, piece of art, genre, get colorful — or just come as you are — to support POAC’s artistic mission. 

Guests will be greeted with a commemorative glass of champagne and hors d’oeuvres while they peruse an array of fun silent auction items and mystery 10-by-10-inch canvases created by local artists. There will be a photo booth to capture the spirit of the evening and a costume contest with prizes to celebrate creativity. Harold’s IGA will provide live musical entertainment, giving guests the chance to kick up their heels.

“The success of this event is essential to POAC’s ability to provide Sandpoint with all the popular programs that our community has come to love and value for nearly five decades,” said POAC Executive Director Tone Stolz. “We invite you to come support the importance of the arts in all of our lives, and especially to support arts education for local kids — and we guarantee you’ll also have fun doing it!”

Tickets are $50 and on sale now at ArtinSandpoint.org, by phone at 208-263-6139, or at the POAC Gallery, 313 N. Second Ave. in downtown Sandpoint.

    Local residents share their interpretation of masterpiece painting at last year's Masterpiece Ball, a fundraising event for the Pend Oreille Arts Council.