The dozen artists who shaped pieces for the Painted Violins Raffle each tapped their own muse, jointly creating an ensemble of beauty.
Murals, beads, flowers, tiles and scrolls decorate the front, back, sides and bows of the instruments, which will be raffled to benefit the Traverse Symphony Orchestra. Tickets are on sale this month and the drawing will be held during the TSO's 2007 Symphony Ball, scheduled for Saturday, April 28, at the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa.
"We wanted variety and different artists that do different things,” said Melinda Downey, chair of the raffle event. "There's a lot of creativity in this, everybody has a different look.”
The violins debuted Monday evening during a reception hosted by the TSO and held at Gallerie Medici, where artists and symphony supporters mingled to enjoy the embellished instruments. A dozen downtown businesses have sponsored the violins and each will display one until the raffle to promote ticket sales.
"It's hard to choose which one you like because they're just so beautiful,” said Andy Beulow, executive director of the symphony, noting that the debut fund-raiser comes as the organization scrambles to make up a funding shortfall from the state. "It really has surpassed my expectations and it really shows how much talent we have around here.”
Artist Delbert Michel initially approached the project with trepidation before diving in to create a mural that incorporates the violin.
"When they come into your studio and hand you this beautiful violin, it's intimidating,” he recalled. "It helped when she told me they were seconds, only $30 each.”
A strong TSO supporter who immediately agreed to participate in the project, Michel felt an artistic affinity with the violin's inherent grace as a physical object. By embedding the instrument in a mural he was able to sustain that integrity while still telling a story.
"They're beautiful shapes in themselves, so I decided to keep that intact and weave it into things,” he said.
Also intrigued by the medium's elegance, Tena Evans wanted her finished product to retain potential as a playable instrument. She removed the chin rest, carried the painted design of roses underneath and put it back on. Even though the curving wood surface of the violin differed from her usual flat canvasses, she worked in acrylics and created a festive three-dimensional painting.
"I actually had no idea in the world how to design a violin because I'm not a musical person,” said Evans, who tapped the internet for ideas before settling on cream-colored roses: "Who doesn't love a dozen roses?”
While her studded glowing creation has been dubbed an Elvis Presley violin, Robbie Carmichael relished the break from creative convention the project provided. The experimental artist has been preparing for a show, "painting, painting and painting” non-stop, so she eschewed the familiar and dove into beads and jewels.
"I wanted to do something different and I've never worked in beads before,” she noted.
Richard Asher also took a road never traveled and covered his violin with a stained-glass mosaic, a new approach to self-expression for the fine artist who normally works in oils. Likening the process to putting together a big jigsaw puzzle, he also broke ground by skipping his usual methodical preparation steps and just diving in.
"Here, other than knowing the colors, I just broke the glass,” he said.
For more information about the Painted Violins Raffle or to purchase tickets, which are 3 for $20, see the Traverse Symphony Orchestra's Web site at www.tso-online.org or call them at 947-7120.