Story by Writer/Contributor: Michele Pracy, Ojai Valley Museum Director

The fifty-one Libbey Glass bowls embellished by Ojai artists glittered on long tables under ancient oaks at a private home in Ojai on the afternoon of June 27. After months of planning, the Ojai Valley Museum’s fundraiser to benefit their sister non-profit, the Libbey Bowl amphitheatre re-build, was about to begin. Between 3 and 5 p.m., 200 invited guests arrived at the auction site to view and bid on the artful bowls in support of two of Ojai’s favorite cultural venues: the Ojai Valley Museum and the Libbey Bowl.

Larry Hagman was Master of Ceremonies; the hosts provided beautifully catered food and drink; the stunning glass bowls attracted healthy bids along the line of tables. By 5 p.m. the auction was complete, bowls were wrapped for transport and the new collectors homeward bound with their Ojai-specific, one-of-a-kind, works of art.

All in all, the auction was highly successful. The Ojai Valley Museum will donate one half of the profits to the “Save the Libbey Bowl Campaign”. The remaining funds will be used by the Museum for its future exhibits and programs.

Fundraising efforts continue because of the Bowl Auction Project. Libbey Inc. is collaborating with the Ojai Valley Museum, spearheading a giving campaign at their corporate headquarters in Toledo, Ohio throughout July 2010. The resulting monetary gifts received from Libbey Inc. will once again be divided equally, by the Ojai Valley Museum with the Libbey Bowl re-build project.