Hendersonville’s 13th annual Bearfootin’ Art Walk Auction, Oct. 24

From Henderson County Tourism Development Authority

Press release

HENDERSONVILLE, NC – The 13th Annual Bearfootin’ Public Art Walk is in full swing, adorning Main Street and raising awareness for non-profits and the good work they do in our community. If you’ve been eyeing one of the fabulous additions to the Bearfootin’ Art catalogue as they’ve resided in downtown for the summer, you will soon have a chance to take him/her home! Our annual Bearfootin’ Art Walk Auction is scheduled for October 24th, 2015 with bidder registration and live entertainment beginning at 2:30 and the auction scheduled for 4:30.

Still not sure which bear will look best in your home? The much loved bears can be found throughout downtown right up to the auction date! On the Monday prior to the auction, October 19th, 2015, the bears will congregate at the Historic County Courthouse Square one last time before they head to their winter homes. In the meantime the best way to make sure you have the chance to see each one of them is to pick up our fabulous Bearfootin’ brochure, available at the Visitor’s Center or online at DowntownHendersonville.org. The brochure provides information on each bear, including their location in the district, their sponsors and beneficiaries and auction information. Not to mention they make a great keepsake for bear aficionados!

This year’s bears are representing a host of non-profits, including some familiar names and some not so familiar to the Bearfootin’ Public Art Walk. “We are always thrilled to see the variety of organizations that participate in Bearfootin’. Art can be a great way to tell a complex story and the medium of the bears has proven very appealing to our community,” noted Lew Holloway Downtown Economic Development Director for the City of Hendersonville.

Sophisticated stories are part of every Bearfootin’ Bear’s background because of the multitude of partners who participate on each project. One of those stories from 2015’s Bearfootin’ surrounds “Hope, The Bi-Polar Bear.” Unique among this year’s bears in the chosen medium of the artist, Hope is a bear adorned with mosaics whose non-profit beneficiary, NAMI short for the “National Alliance on Mental Illness,” is dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. Hope is depicted as a bear with two sides, one awash in bright color and flowers, the other muted with grey tones and fall colors, symbolizing the emotional experiences we all share but which can overwhelm those who struggle with mental illness. Debi Schusler, Hope’s sponsor and primary artist noted that she, “asked mosaic artist friends [from] around the world to send a small flower or two to include in my design. I received flowers from all over the country as well as several from France.”

Hope and her friends will join the wonderful Hendersonville tradition of raising funds for their favorite non-profits when they are auctioned on October 24th, 2015 on the Historic Courthouse Square in downtown Hendersonville. Last year’s auction was a record event with proceeds toping $35,000. These proceeds directly support the variety of local non-profits each bear represents along with the City of Hendersonville’s Downtown Program which hosts and produces the annual Bearfootin’ Public Art Walk. In addition to NAMI, this year’s bears represent the Council on Aging for Henderson County, Mainstay, the Flat Rock Playhouse, Blue Ridge Humane Society, Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site, Henderson County Young Leaders, Team ECCO, Four Season’s Hospice, and the Henderson County Education Foundation among others. So whether you are motivated to support downtown and your favorite local non-profit or you’ve simply fallen in love with one of this year’s Bearfootin’ bears, mark your calendars for our annual auction!

Can’t be in town on the 24th but still want to take a bear home this year? The Downtown Program’s new proxy bidding option is for you! All you have to do is pick your favorite bear, establish a maximum bid and we will take care of the rest using a live on-site bidder to compete for the bear you’re interested in! Contact Dalleen Jackson at 828.233.3205 or djackson@hvlnc.gov for more information about this unique option. Prefer to be there in person, you can pre-register as an on-site bidder by contacting Dalleen or register the day of the Auction beginning at 2:30 pm at the Historic Courthouse. Again the Auction itself is scheduled for Saturday October 24th at 4:30 pm. We hope to see you there!