Lobster buoys, swimming fish, leaves and flowers, Boothbay life, lobster traps – these were just a few of the themes artists used to decorate the Adirondack chairs they painted for the YMCA’s Chair-itable Auction held at the Spruce Point Inn on August 24.

Fifty volunteer artists each received one plain white chair to paint and beautify, each chair sponsored by a local businesses for $100 (the cost of the chair). Volunteers brought the chairs to the artists, assembled them, help put them on display around town, and finally moved them to Spruce Point Inn for the auction.

Membership, Marketing and Child Enrichment Director at the YMCA Meagan Hamblett was the force behind the operation, coming up with the idea several years ago. She said she had been hoping to hold the event for a couple of years but it kept getting delayed. “I hope this will now become an annual event,” Hamblett said. “Maybe next year instead of chairs, artists could decorate mirrors of all shapes and sizes so there would be a big variety of styles.”

Different-colored balloons tied to each chair identified the group it belonged to, and the auction closed groups of chairs beginning at 6:30 p.m. and every 10 minutes thereafter, giving people ample time to bid on the chairs they wanted. 

Margaret Canepa, who painted her chair to look like a quilt, said it took her two days to finish. “I love to use the Y pool,” she said. “It was such a great idea to raise money and I was happy to volunteer.”

Henry Bonner, who painted his chair in honor of his grandfather renting a cabin in 1927 on Loon Lake in New York for his family, said that he loves making things out of pieces he finds at the dump. Bonner’s chair included the figure of a man standing next to the chair. Bonner’s chair sold for $1,000 with a single bid.

Susan Brackett, who painted the music chair pictured, said that the Opera House musicians inspired her creation. Quotes could be found all over the piece, along with different musical instruments built into the piece including a clarinet and trumpet on the arms, a cello back, and a French horn on the side. This chair was the talk of the auction, with many guests impressed with the craftsmanship and creativity displayed.

Peggy Pinkham, president of the YMCA Board of Trustees, says that they hoped to raise $20,000 from the chair auction. She said that the money raised will go toward several programs at the Y, including camp scholarships and funding individual memberships for the community for those that can’t afford membership. “If anyone wants to use it, they should be able to,” Pinkham said.

At of the end of the auction they had raised $16,000, with 13 chairs receiving no bids. These 13 chairs are currently on display in the lobby of the YMCA until August 31 at 3 p.m., and anyone who wishes can bid on them. Starting bid is $200. Any chairs that do not sell at that point will be placed on an online auction.