Former Chattanoogan Marvin Flynn has been selected to appear in the prestigious 9th Annual Rist Canyon Mountain Festival and Richard Schmid Fine Art Auction in Colorado on Sunday, Sept. 5. It is at Bellvue near Fort Collins.
The auction, held in conjunction with the Rist Canyon Mountain Festival, offers attendees an opportunity to spend the day in a picturesque mountain meadow, acquire original works of art and help support a good cause, the Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department.
Marvin Flynn is a Chattanooga native, whose family lived and worked in the city and surrounding community for many years, and he still has numerous relatives who live in the Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama area. He and his new bride made their first home in the St. Elmo community before he left the area in the service of United States Air Force where he served his country for over 20 years. He is also retired from the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas. After his second retirement, he began yet a third career as a professional artist and has achieved unprecedented success.
His oil paintings in the Flemish and Dutch Old Master style have won many regional and national awards across the country and he is represented by several prestigious galleries, including WhistlePik Galleries, Fredericksburg, Texas and Horizon Fine Art Gallery, Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
The 2004 auction marks his fourth consecutive year of participation in this prestigious auction. Two of his paintings, “Blue Tassel and Roses” and “Hunter’s Cabin” are featured in this year’s auction.
Bidding is expected to be spirited at this year’s auction, which has grown over the years into a major event in the art world. Last year hundreds of bidders packed the “Big Top”, and browsed the silent auction, taking home works that ranged in price from under $400 to over $46,500. In addition to “Blue Tassel and Roses” and “Hunter’s Cabin”, the live auction and silent auction features over 150 original works from nationally and internationally acclaimed artists, including founding artist Richard Schmid. Last year’s live and silent auctions grossed over $156,000, with proceeds going to Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department, an organization which depends entirely on donations to protect the homes and people in over 100 square miles west of Fort Collins. This auction is unique in that the “gallery commission” goes to support the volunteer fire department while the artists benefit from the remainder of the sale.
The festival and art preview begin at 10:00 a.m.; the live auction gets underway promptly at 1:00 p.m. Admission to both the festival and art auctions is free, and there’s plenty of free parking. While waiting for the auction to begin, visitors can enjoy a wide variety of attractions at the Mountain Festival, which features one of Colorado’s largest used book sales, a Mountain Craft Market, classic car show, live entertainment, activities for kids, and old fashioned bake sale and lots of great food. Over 3,000 people attended last year’s festival.
Pre-bidding and live bidding can be arranged by contacting Jon Stephens (970-482-2719; jbars@aol.com).
For those who’d like to make a mountain weekend out of it, plenty of accommodations are available in nearby Loveland, Fort Collins and Estes Part, all about a 45 minute drive.
For directions, hours and more information about the auction and to view some of this year’s art, visit www.rcvfd-richard-schmid-art-auction.com.