The Ojai Valley Museum has created a unique fundraising event, an auction of altered Libbey glass bowls, as a benefit for Ojai’s “Save Libbey Bowl” campaign. The idea for local artists and artisans to produce artwork on the bowls originated in May 2009 and will culminate in a Gala Auction of the altered bowls on June 27th at a private home. The museum will donate half of the proceeds from the “Bowled Over” auction to the Rebuild Libbey Bowl fundraising effort. The auction will take place midway through the museum’s current exhibition, “Ojai’s Libbey Bowl: Past/Present/Future,” which runs through July 11, 2010.

In March, the Ojai Valley Museum asked Libbey Inc. to donate clear glass, over-sized bowls to the museum for the auction. Libbey agreed and donated the requested bowls in five different shapes, for the especially selected artists to embellish.

On April 10th, the selected artists were invited to a museum reception where they chose their clear glass bowls to later return as fully realized works of art for the auction. At the auction a mini catalogue documenting all of the bowls will be given to the participating artisans and auction attendees as a memento of the project.

Local artists who were invited to embellish bowls include ceramicists, painters, printmakers, photographers, wood sculptors, and glass artists. All were asked to “think outside the glass” as a challenge to their standard media preferences. In addition to the local artists, celebrities such as Larry Hagman (Master of Ceremonies at the auction), Sergio Aragonés, and Ellen DeGeneres’ mother, Betty DeGeneres, were invited to participate. Robert Zollweg, Creative Director, Libbey Inc., will also embellish a bowl for the auction.

Artists participating in the “Bowled Over” auction are: John Aaron, Richard Amend, Sergio Aragonés, Barbara Bowman, Christine Brennan, Eilam Byle, Myrna Cambianica, Larry Carnes, Moira Casey, Gayel Childress, Leslie Clark, Kerry Crank, Evelyn Dayman, Betty DeGeneres, Merilee Eaton, Ruth Farnham, Richard Franklin, Yvette Franklin, Valerie Freeman, Kelly Greene, Larry Hagman, Ray Harding, Linda Harmon, Claire Hill, Kate Hoffman, Nancy Horwick, Gerry Kennon, Oatley Kidder, Joe Leech, Karen Lewis, Sherry Loehr, Kirk Lowry, Mary Ann Maybaum, Laura Peck, Elise Pogofsky-Harris, Sylvia Raz, Fred Rothenberg, Paul Roux, Teal Rowe, Betty Saunders, Jeff Seaton, Shahastra, Sharlene Smartt, Edie Smith, Susan Stinsmuehlen-Amend, Linda Taylor, Anna Thomas, Kaarina Tienhaara, Iris Williams, Dennis Wood, and Robert Zollweg.

Libbey Inc. and Ojai Creates, who donated the materials for artists to use, have generously sponsored this fundraiser. The members of the “Bowled Over” Auction Committee, which has been organizing the event, are: Bobbie Boschan, Anna Cho Wagner, Laura Peck, Michele Ellis Pracy, and Esther Wachtell.

For further information or to purchase tickets to the “Bowled Over” Auction, please call the Ojai Valley Museum (805) 640-1390, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.