CLEVELAND, Tenn. (April 14, 2009)—Sandpaper. Wood filler and glue. Latex, oil and FolkArt paints. Gel stain and polyurethane.

Studios, workrooms, basements and garages across the community show evidence of creative minds at work preparing to compete for the highest bid and raise the most money for arts in education for Cleveland and Bradley County students.

One of those creative minds belongs to local artist Diana Auberry. Auberry, a member of the Chair-ries Jubilee Committee, a division of the Allied Arts Council of the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce, has been creating furniture pieces for the annual fundraiser since 2003.

“It’s always a journey into the unknown because each piece is unique,” says the ambitious artist who is submitting 20 art pieces this year.

That journey begins with cleaning.

“I can’t stress enough the importance of preparing a piece of furniture before painting for a quality finished product,” Auberry explained. “There really are no shortcuts to the cleaning process if you want your piece of art to last, be handed down and remain in usable condition for many years.”

Soapy water and a sponge were the first order of business for the pieces Auberry has created for the 2009 Chair-ries Jubilee: “Reimagine!”—from the “Sisterhood of the Traveling Stools” to “Give a Dog a Bone” bed and dish to a “Shades of Napa Valley” wine cabinet.

“Whether the piece is an antique, just an older piece of furniture or even not so old, it must first be cleaned,” she explained, noting that cleaning includes the inside, drawers and pulls too.

After the furniture piece is completely dry, she stabilizes loose joints and repairs wood veneer with wood glue and screws and uses wood filler for deep gouges that don’t add character to the piece.

Next comes a medium grit sanding sponge and then a finer grit sandpaper or hand sander till the piece feels smooth to the touch.

“Then I rinse the piece again with clear water and a sponge and allow it to dry thoroughly before applying any paint.”

After that comes priming and painting and waiting for each coat to dry.

“At this point, if you want to apply any art to your piece, do so before glazing,” Auberry said. “I draw my design onto a piece of furniture with school chalk, then paint and shade the design with FolkArt paints available at any craft store. They come in hundreds of colors and dry fast. Once your art is completely dry, the next step is applying the glaze over you art and the furniture to bring out all the distressing and natural design or carvings in the piece.”

To avoid giving away all her secrets, one can easily conclude that art is a great deal about waiting patiently. Time after time this prolific Chair-ries Jubilee contributor stopped when describing the steps toward a completed piece to say, “Once it is completely dry . . . ” or “Allow it to dry thoroughly.”

“Through the fundraising efforts of Chair-ries Jubilee, the Allied Arts Council has invested more than $195,000 in our schools for teacher arts grants and visiting artists since the auction began 11 years ago,” Auberry said. “We hope to surpass $200,000 with this year’s auction on Friday night.”

Auberry’s contributions and those of dozens of other artists across the community will be on display Friday morning at 10 a.m. at the Museum Center at 5ive Points for “preview and pre-bidding.”

“This is something new for Chair-ries Jubilee,” Nancy Casson, committee co-chair, said. “If you’re not able to attend Friday night, you can come by the museum from 10 till 2 and bid on silent auction and live auction items. However, you must have a ticket to bid.”

The preview will close at 2 p.m., and bidding will begin again at 6 p.m. during the silent auction. The drawing for the “Traveling Stools” will take place at the beginning of the live auction, which begins at 8 p.m.

Tickets, available at the Chamber of Commerce, The Red Ribbon and Orange Blossom Boutique, are $20 in advance. Ticket cost is $25 at the door.

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