The Art Guild of Orange Park is inviting Clay County residents to tumble down the rabbit hole on Saturday, October 24, when its Mad Hatter's Chair-i-ty Gala & Auction takes over The Grove at Orange Park Country Club from 6 to 10 p.m. Guests are encouraged to wear whimsical, Wonderland-style attire or hats for a night built around savory bites, a wine pull, live music, and a live auction of artist-painted statement chairs.
The evening centers on an auction of uniquely designed artist chairs. U.S. Representative Aaron Bean will serve as guest auctioneer for the live bidding. Tickets cost $50 per person and include hors d'oeuvres, live music, and a live sketch artist.
Bean’s auction role draws on experience beyond elected office: the U.S. House biography lists auctioneer among his professions, alongside business owner and bank president. He represents Florida’s 4th Congressional District, which includes Clay, Duval and Nassau counties, connecting the event’s guest auctioneer to the Northeast Florida communities served by the guild.
A Scholarship Rooted in Local Art History
A Scholarship Rooted in Local Art History The Art Guild of Orange Park also offers scholarship awards.
The guild’s Courtenay Hunt Scholarship, established in 2002, is awarded annually to Clay County high school seniors planning careers in visual arts or arts education. Applicants submit a portfolio and meet with the guild’s review committee; academic records, community service, extracurricular activities and recommendations are also considered. The program gives the organization’s support for local art a path into students’ further education.
A Milestone Year for a 53-Year-Old Nonprofit
This year's fundraiser lands amid what's been a landmark stretch for the organization. In January, the Art Guild of Orange Park opened its first permanent gallery at 440 McIntosh Avenue, giving Clay County its only operating public art gallery and museum, Clay Today reported at the time. Talks about an official building began roughly 20 years earlier, and the guild approached the town council about leasing the auditorium, according to that coverage.
The gallery occupies a restored building that served as the town's only schoolhouse for Black students. Grant funding covered renovations that updated the space's track lighting, ceilings, and flooring, Clay Today notes. The gallery features pottery and paintings, with rotating displays, Clay Today reported.
The guild was founded in 1973 by eight local artists. More than five decades later, the nonprofit still serves visual artists across Clay County and Northeast Florida. The gala takes place at The Grove at Orange Park Country Club, 2525 Country Club Boulevard. Ticket and event details are available through the guild's website and its Facebook page, @artguildorangepark.
