Shadowboxing auction fundraiser returns ahead of second annual Battle of the Sommeliers

Robert Windrum shows off some of the shadow-box and other art by local and national artists that will be up for bid during the Shadowbox(ing) Online Art, Items and Experiences Auction Feb. 14-26.

As Gallery Stratford’s lineup of sommeliers prepare to do battle at the nearly sold-out second annual Battle of the Sommeliers fundraiser Feb. 26, gallery staff and supporters are preparing to launch another opportunity to support gallery operations and programming with its second annual Shadowbox(ing) Online Art, Items and Experiences Auction.

Set to launch on Feb. 14 and run until the Battle of the Sommeliers on Feb. 26, the auction will feature works by local and well-known artists created for or incorporating eight-by-eight shadow boxes – enclosed display cases traditionally used to show jewellery, medals and other small collectibles, and sometimes used to display dioramas, scenes or special artworks.

“The idea of calling it ‘Shadowboxing’ really comes as a complement to the Battle of the Sommeliers,” Gallery Stratford director/curator Robert Windrum said. “ … That's four sommeliers who duke it out for best pairings over the course of the evening. And parallel to that is the Shadowboxing online auction. We call it Shadowboxing because it matches the battle which has a sort of boxing theme.

“Last year, which was the inaugural year for this event, we gave artists eight-by-eight-inch shadow boxes and asked them to do something with the shadow box, whether it's just pop an existing work in or create something that is incorporating the whole frame. We got some amazing stuff last year from artists, and the nice thing about the shadow boxes as an option for the online auction is that they're relatively small scale, they're affordable and … you don't need a huge investment in order to take home work by significant local and nationally recognized artists.”

The shadow-box art, Windrum explained, gives participating artists the opportunity to explore different mediums, textures, dimensions and even the display case itself to create entirely unique works of art that don’t take up a lot of real estate in successful bidders’ homes or offices.

And it’s not just shadow-box art up for bid during the auction. Other works of art donated by their artists as well as experience packages, gift certificates to local restaurants, kitchen utensils, fine housewares and more will be available to bid on online, offering a chance for Gallery Stratford supporters from across the country and around the world to support everything the gallery does.

“This really comes out of the tradition of the ‘I Love My Gallery Auction,’ which was our signature fundraiser for close to 50 years, and it was massive, and part of the attraction and the benefit that we want to maintain in this event from the ‘I Love My Gallery Auction’ is that there are accessible items for everybody to bid on,” Windrum said. “It's not just a high-end art auction; there's things that anybody would be interested in, whether you actually care about art or not.”

Area residents and gallery supporters are invited to Gallery Stratford on Feb. 14 from 4-6 p.m. to celebrate the opening of the second annual Shadowbox(ing) Online Art, Items and Experiences Auction. Admission is free and all are welcome to enjoy a first look at this year's offerings, meet participating artists, donors and sponsors, and savour a wine and charcuterie spread as they preview the full auction collection.

Bidding takes place online using Auctria. All available art and items will be on display at Gallery Stratford throughout the auction period from Feb. 14-26, with free admission to the gallery during this period.

This year’s Battle of Sommeliers, which has been expanded to accommodate 90 guests, is nearly sold out, building on the momentum of the event’s debut last year. The battleground for the four wine experts to duke it out will be a three-course meal created by Stuart Taylor, owner of Taylor’s Delicatessen in downtown Stratford. Different wines will be painstakingly paired with the evening's courses to give guests the ultimate challenge of determining their favourites and selecting this year's winning sommelier.

The sommeliers for the second iteration of the fundraiser event are Waterloo’s Rob Milller, known for his work with the Vine Agency, Brix + Mortar and ClearSips; Jonny Kirwin, the owner of Stratford café and wine bar Brch & Wyn; Conor Scully, restaurant manager and sommelier at the Starlight and service instructor at the Stratford Chefs School; and Mike Fish, a certified sommelier with the Stratford Festival and founder of LondonSomm, a private wine experience company.

“That evening is not a stodgy, snooty wine gala,” Windrum said. “It's a fun evening. You're voting on who does the best pairing. The sommeliers kind of duke it out and promote themselves and maybe diss their opponents and their choices. And one of the criteria for selecting our sommeliers is they've got to be fun. They've got to be willing to kind of be on stage and put on a show.

“The entertainment of that evening is the sommeliers, so it's a really nice pairing of the dinner on the 26th and the online auction, which opens for bidding the 14th and then closes the night of the dinner.”

The Shadowbox(ing) auction will go live on Feb. 14 via the Gallery Stratford website at gallerystratford.on.ca and through the gallery’s social media. For more information on The Battle of the Sommeliers and to purchase tickets, visit https://tinyurl.com/4zfchaxj.