On April 11th, The Middleburg Community Center will host its own artistic fund raiser auction "A Step Above". 46 local artists will participate in this year's show and their foundation for creativity will be foot stools.

Think of it as an art show where the theme begins with identical step stools to be embellished and past that, it's all open to artistic interpretation. It's almost like a soap box derby for artists, with the winner being the community and MCC itself.

Tutti Perricone, along with Joan Eliot, Carolyn Saffer and Margaret Littleton have to be credited for spearheading the original idea of having local artists decorating birdhouses commissioned by Roland Thompson.

Since 2004 this unique and entertaining art show has run every other year, thus making this its 10 year anniversary. Loved for its originality, this show has been a hit from year one. Other years have also included tack boxes, trays and case boxes, which have all yielded endless amounts of visual delight and MCC supportive results.

While I have enthusiastically participated in each of the shows along side of many other familiar painters, part of the fun is the show's diverse artistic reach in those such as designer Manuel Simpson, garden designer and painter Dana Westring, tile artist Joan Gardiner and new this year, textile artist Linda Neel and metal artist Peter Wood.

With entries going for as little as $100 to well over $1,000. via silent auction, bidding becomes the easy part in a show where choosing what to actually bid on is like a storybook journey through festive imagination. It is a community supported endeavor not to be missed!

Virginia Jenkins is Chairman for this 2014 Auction. The one evening show runs from 5:30 to 7:30 with refreshments. For more information visit MiddleburgCommunityCenter.com or call 540-687-6373.