BY KIRSTEN BOLTON
FOR ARTSPRING
While slightly under last year’s 25th anniversary fundraising record, the results of this year’s recent Treasure Fair topped an impressive $105,000 in ArtSpring’s largest fundraising event of the year.
With 500 donated items at all price points up for auction, the outcome was substantially swayed by the winning bid for Carol Brown’s 2004 Steinway & Sons grand piano, a bid which almost didn’t happen and came with a stroke of serendipity.
Bidding came down to two main parties, including from partners Johanna Ens and Alexander Klauser, who moved to Salt Spring just over three years ago looking for a quieter life. Very involved in the classical and choral music scene in Winnipeg and Vancouver, with Klauser being a visual artist and musician in Canada and in Germany, who studies, in particular, the essence of Bach — they had been seeking what he called a “real piano” since arriving.
“We were returning from a trip days before the auction took place,” said Ens. “If we had not happened across the ad and the article headlining the Steinway and Treasure Fair in the Driftwood, we would have missed out on this opportunity entirely.”
They registered late mid-auction on July 17, scheduled a visit to Brown’s home to chat and play the piano for 30 minutes on July 19, and by the end of the day, the winning bid was placed 10 minutes before auction closing.
“Meeting Johanna and Alexander was an absolute gift,” said Brown. “I’m thrilled my piano will be going to such a lovely couple who values music as they do and I do, and I am pleased it will remain on the island within the community.”
Parting with “Isabella” — as her beloved piano is named — proved to be an emotional experience for Brown. After 20 joyful years, Brown’s arthritis and a degenerative eye condition rendered playing the keys and reading music anymore very limited, and difficult decisions needed to be made.
“As a 23-year supporter of ArtSpring, [my husband] Ted and I have always intended to leave a future bequest,” explained Brown. “But I came to realize the piano was a tangible asset in the here and now that could do some good and provide immediate value to Treasure Fair and ArtSpring. It was the right decision.”
For Ens and Klauser, “What helped make this decision for us was that all proceeds were going to ArtSpring,” said Ens. “We have been avid concert-goers here in Canada and internationally and appreciate ArtSpring’s vital role in this community and feel privileged to contribute in a small way.”
The signs also seemed to be aligned when, in the course of conversation, the parties discovered they shared mutual memories of the richness of Winnipeg’s musical scene during the time of Maestro Bramwell Tovey’s tenure at the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, including being at the same concert at the same time and not knowing it.
The year marked the introduction of a new Treasure Fair coordinator, Janna Zahorodniuk, who was supported by veteran committee head Catherine Griffiths and an army of volunteers. Some of the reported highlights and trends included an above-normal “buy-it-now” immediate response to items within minutes or hours of going live, including very quirky or unexpected items.
Gift cards, services and experiences remained popular, as did curated baskets of wine and whiskey. The last five-minute frenzy of bidding secured the 13-foot Penobscot sailing dinghy, which a man acquired for his grandson, and the always compelling Yukon Northern Lights Adventure, which was finally snapped up by a couple who had tried for years.
A final highlight of the event was the Treasure Fair concert which also marked the end of ArtSpring’s 2024/25 season. Zachary Stevenson’s signature revue Dead Ringer, where Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis and Hank Williams come back to life, was the most joyous sold-out audience of the season with enthusiastic dancing in the aisles and an outpouring of community spirit.
Questions often arise about what happens to items that don’t receive bids. Items with no bids are available in person on Sunday at the opening bid value or returned to owner. On Monday, local charities Transitions and Lady Minto Thrift Store are invited to select items for their respective thrift stores to ensure donated treasures are not wasted and find a home.
Funds raised are applied entirely toward supporting ArtSpring’s operations, programming and maintenance upkeep.
ArtSpring Treasure Fair auction nets $105,000
Driftwood ad and article led to happy piano purchase
BY KIRSTEN BOLTON
FOR ARTSPRING
While slightly under last year’s 25th anniversary fundraising record, the results of this year’s recent Treasure Fair topped an impressive $105,000 in ArtSpring’s largest fundraising event of the year.
With 500 donated items at all price points up for auction, the outcome was substantially swayed by the winning bid for Carol Brown’s 2004 Steinway & Sons grand piano, a bid which almost didn’t happen and came with a stroke of serendipity.
Bidding came down to two main parties, including from partners Johanna Ens and Alexander Klauser, who moved to Salt Spring just over three years ago looking for a quieter life. Very involved in the classical and choral music scene in Winnipeg and Vancouver, with Klauser being a visual artist and musician in Canada and in Germany, who studies, in particular, the essence of Bach — they had been seeking what he called a “real piano” since arriving.
“We were returning from a trip days before the auction took place,” said Ens. “If we had not happened across the ad and the article headlining the Steinway and Treasure Fair in the Driftwood, we would have missed out on this opportunity entirely.”
They registered late mid-auction on July 17, scheduled a visit to Brown’s home to chat and play the piano for 30 minutes on July 19, and by the end of the day, the winning bid was placed 10 minutes before auction closing.
“Meeting Johanna and Alexander was an absolute gift,” said Brown. “I’m thrilled my piano will be going to such a lovely couple who values music as they do and I do, and I am pleased it will remain on the island within the community.”
Parting with “Isabella” — as her beloved piano is named — proved to be an emotional experience for Brown. After 20 joyful years, Brown’s arthritis and a degenerative eye condition rendered playing the keys and reading music anymore very limited, and difficult decisions needed to be made.
“As a 23-year supporter of ArtSpring, [my husband] Ted and I have always intended to leave a future bequest,” explained Brown. “But I came to realize the piano was a tangible asset in the here and now that could do some good and provide immediate value to Treasure Fair and ArtSpring. It was the right decision.”
For Ens and Klauser, “What helped make this decision for us was that all proceeds were going to ArtSpring,” said Ens. “We have been avid concert-goers here in Canada and internationally and appreciate ArtSpring’s vital role in this community and feel privileged to contribute in a small way.”
The signs also seemed to be aligned when, in the course of conversation, the parties discovered they shared mutual memories of the richness of Winnipeg’s musical scene during the time of Maestro Bramwell Tovey’s tenure at the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, including being at the same concert at the same time and not knowing it.
The year marked the introduction of a new Treasure Fair coordinator, Janna Zahorodniuk, who was supported by veteran committee head Catherine Griffiths and an army of volunteers. Some of the reported highlights and trends included an above-normal “buy-it-now” immediate response to items within minutes or hours of going live, including very quirky or unexpected items.
Gift cards, services and experiences remained popular, as did curated baskets of wine and whiskey. The last five-minute frenzy of bidding secured the 13-foot Penobscot sailing dinghy, which a man acquired for his grandson, and the always compelling Yukon Northern Lights Adventure, which was finally snapped up by a couple who had tried for years.
A final highlight of the event was the Treasure Fair concert which also marked the end of ArtSpring’s 2024/25 season. Zachary Stevenson’s signature revue Dead Ringer, where Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis and Hank Williams come back to life, was the most joyous sold-out audience of the season with enthusiastic dancing in the aisles and an outpouring of community spirit.
Questions often arise about what happens to items that don’t receive bids. Items with no bids are available in person on Sunday at the opening bid value or returned to owner. On Monday, local charities Transitions and Lady Minto Thrift Store are invited to select items for their respective thrift stores to ensure donated treasures are not wasted and find a home.
Funds raised are applied entirely toward supporting ArtSpring’s operations, programming and maintenance upkeep.