Things to Do: Whatever the Outcome fundraiser for Plum Hill School

Next Wednesday, July 13th sees the 8th "Whatever the Outcome" event at Flat Point Farm West Tisbury.  But whatever is Whatever the Outcome?

This community art event is the brainchild of our very own Craig Miner (Tea Lane Associate's IT guy extraordinaire), who also goes by the title of “Chief Instigator for WtO” 

The idea came to Craig a few years ago when he set out to create an art event that would be a test to the islands community spirit and bring islanders together.  The idea was that a local artist creates a large piece of original fine artwork using a 4 foot by 10 foot sheet of magnetic material as a canvas, a kind of huge artistic fridge magnet if you will.  The artwork is then cut up into pieces, (sounds horrific I know!), and distributed to guests along with an invitation to gather at a selected location. During the event, guests are invited to step up with their ''piece” and re-create the painting like an enormous magnetic jigsaw puzzle. Community involvement is critical to the process as the painting is recreated! The excitement builds as the final pieces are positioned and the painting is revealed.  

If someone doesn’t show, then, hey, that's ok too.... as Craig would say " whatever the Outcome baby!"....There was one event where frantic texts and calls were being made to one missing participant whos piece was needed to complete the puzzle....when they showed everyone cheered!

The first event in 2013 was promoted mainly by word of mouth and since then there have been 7 WTO events, each with unique artists, such as Traeger D'Pietro, Walker Roman, Kenneth Vincent, Danielle Mulcahy and Dave Miller.  And locations, like the Field Gallery, the Chappaquiddick Beach Club, Polly Hill Arboretum.  The Noepe Literary Arts Center in Edgartown, was host to a variation on the magnet theme where members of the community were asked to paint on an individual cedar shingle that were then made up into a shingled wall that revealed an original poem by former West Tisbury Poet laureate  Justin Ahren, during the evening.

Miner promotes the shows on social media and by placing small decorated magnets, that bare the WTO website, on anything magnetic about Martha’s Vineyard.   During the winter months friends gather around his kitchen table and create art on magnets.  The magnets have been distributed as far afield as London, New York and California.

Decorated clothes pins are also used to promote the cause.... if you hang around with Craig for long you are sure to leave with a clothes pin attached to you!

WTO has become an anticipated event, as Miner and his team of volunteers bring the Island community together with music, drinks, local food, great company and of course, art.

WTO number 8 will be held as a fundraiser for the Plum Hill School on July 13^th. The location in the beautiful fields and Tisbury great pond front at Flat Point Farm. The 150 person cocktail party with local food and DJ is from 6-10pm and will culminate in the assembly of the painting by featured artist, Nathan Shepard.  Nathan is from a long line of artists; his Great Grandfather, Charles Hopkinson, was a renowned Boston portrait painter.  He is used to painting in a large scale as he has created murals for island businesses and private clients.  If you go to Fiddlehead farm stand look behind that fruit and veg display you will see his work there.

For more information or to purchase tickets click here.  

Click here to read the MV Times article about the evening