Advent Brew: A Crate of ‘Lovely Stuff’!

The beer has been brewed and bottled. All that’s left is the label, which we’ll debut Saturday night. If you attended the Fall Social, you may have gotten a taste. Advent dad Colin Davis donated a case then too. But this brew is special. It is in Colin’s words: “Pale/Wheat Ale (PWA).  Hoppy but not too much.  A crate of lovely stuff—16 (22 oz.) bottles.” In step with the trend toward home brews, Colin has been brewing for 10 years, and he has a host of Advent dads who welcome timely invitations to help bottle and taste.

What We Love About This Auction Item: Colin has a fan base, so we know that his beer, which he customizes to every event he donates to, will sell very well.
Says Advent Dad Thierry Guyader: I try to rarely miss an opportunity to help brew or taste—he’s got a Brit’s natural knowledge of beer in his blood and a Belgian’s way with complexity.

Hyacinth by Tommy Rosenstiel

Painted by Advent uncle Tommy Rosenstiel (uncle to Julie, Frances, and Will), Hyacinth had an improbable start. The physician has studied and painted landscapes and portraits for years. And he says, “Forgive the stereotyping, but many physicians who paint tend to be so precise, almost photo-realistic,” says Rosenstiel. “And I tried that when I started this painting. But it just didn’t work. I had to distill the image down to make it read, so you could see how beautiful the flower was—with its exposed roots and the blossom. I found myself getting more impressionistic, layering and leaving some areas less painted.”

What We Love About This Auction Item: The auction team has fallen in love with this oil-on-canvas piece, and its framing as well. The size is not a standard one, and the frame, which Rosenstiel says is dark because he didn’t want it to compete with the actual painting, gives an old-world feel to this very current image.
Value: $400

Altamont Summer Enrichment Camp

Advent’s relationship with The Altamont School goes back a long way and borders on the familial. We have several children of Altamont teachers attending our school, as Advent prepares them for the challenges and rewards of more advanced learning and growing. We were thrilled when Advent alum, now Altamont teacher Buck Crowe (also Mrs. Peters’ brother) crafted this lot—a three-week summer enrichment course for rising 5th-8th graders. Take classes in English, math, photography, drama (Shakespeare), and sports and link the learning of the school year with a summer of adventure.

Note:
– Photography students must bring a digital camera.

What We Love About This Auction Item: Kids get firsthand experience of a high school and a chance to learn for the fun of it, choosing subjects to study rather than following the required curriculum—it’s their first look at the choices of high school and college!
Value: $1,100

Misty Morning on the Fuel Docks

Maritime artist Don Scafidi (b. 1928) is known for his meticulous attention to the lines and sails, hulls and tillers in every one of his paintings. Advent has a few of his portraits of ships and schooners, but it is his atmospheric painting of a Misty Morning on the Fuel Docks, donated by Leah and Lee McGriff, that has captivated each one of us who has come in contact with his work. Mostly self taught, Scafidi really learned his craft as Pier Superintendent of New York City, U.S. delegate to NATO, and marine ship commander. Now a resident of Louisiana, Scafidi has spent 27 years translating a lifetime of experience on the water onto the painted canvas.

What We Love About This Auction Item: Most of Scafidi’s paintings show the boats on the open water, in their natural habitat, transported over the waves. This painting has a stillness and quiet that resonates whether you live on land or by water.
Estimated Value: $8,000

Pat Sullivan Signed Football

Think of the kids at Advent: They are all scholar-athletes to different degrees, which is what makes this autographed football from former winning Auburn quarterback, 1971 Heisman trophy winner, and Academic All American Pat Sullivan so special to us. Donated by Samford University Athletics (and obtained by Advent dad and Samford Professor Michael Hogue), the football, which was signed by Samford Coach Pat Sullivan himself, is, in Michael’s words: “a great opportunity to own a piece of sports memorabilia signed by a legend of football!”

What We Love About This Auction Item: It’s every kid’s dream: to have a piece of sports memorabilia signed by a great athlete. This football, signed by a star quarterback, former pro football player, coach of a Birmingham football team, is something to hold onto forever. Win this ball, then purchase season tickets to Samford football and see Coach Sullivan in action.
Value: $125

Volleyball Camp at Samford

Your daughter has seen the 7th and 8th grade volleyball players in action, and she wants to play too. A great introduction for a novice (or a more seasoned veteran) is the Dex Schroeder Volleyball Camp at Samford. Even high schoolers can get training in serving, setting, or hitting, for example. Camp attendees receive instruction from Dex Schroeder, Samford’s coach, as well as from Samford students. It’s a fun, informative camp that will teach the girls and totally entertain them.

As an FYI, the letter from Samford entitles the winning bidder to one complimentary registration to a specific individual volleyball camp. Click here to see the diverse offerings. Says Advent Dad and Samford Professor Michael Hogue: “Coach Dex’s camps fill up very quickly, and he is definitely one of the most recognized and winning volleyball coaches in the Southern Conference and in Alabama.”

What We Love About This Auction Item: Coach Dex was personally involved in crafting the donation to Advent. He knows us and our commitment to the sport.
Says Advent 4th grader Cece Guyader: “I love volleyball, and it was so fun at the camp last summer!! I can’t wait to go back!!”
Estimated Value: $150 to $250

Reclining Nude by Gaetano Capone

An Italian artist from the Amalfi Coast resort village of Maiori, Gaetano Capone (1845-1920) studied with the likes of Domenico Morelli and Fillippo Palizzi at the Academia di Belle Arte in Naples. Capone went on to study with Cesar Fracassini, a well-known history painter in Rome. He won several awards in Italy, including one from the prestigious Accademia Nazionale di San Luca. Capone emigrated to the United States in 1883 and had a studio opposite the New York Public Library. In this country, he is known more for his society portraits, and this brings to mind a more famous reclining nude having lunch on the grass (Le Déjeuner Sur l’Herbe by Manet). Our Reclining Nude was donated to the Advent School by Leah and Lee McGriff.

What We Love About This Auction Item: Her hairstyle dates her to the turn of the 20th century, and yet her pose and expression seem very today.
Estimated Value: $1,500

New York 1929: By a Great Artist, or Simply a Great Work of Art?

Among the fabulous artworks donated to the Advent School by Leah and Lee McGriff in 2010, there were a few mysteries—works that were unsigned or unintelligibly signed. New York 1929 falls into the latter category. The time that this beautiful painting was created is clear. And we know that the Guarisco estate, from which the collection came, estimated its value at $3,000. The signature may say Stendlinger, and that is what we are going with. But consensus among the auction co-chairs is that this is one of those pieces that will end up on the Antiques Roadshow. We surmise that it is by a little-known artistic giant. (In reality, the painting actually piqued the interest of a Birmingham Museum of Art curator.) So fall in love with the image and its colors, and let the mystery beguile you, as you make New York 1929 your own.

What We Love About This Auction Item: Whether it’s a work of art by a great artist or just a great work of art, the painting depicts New York at a pivotal time in the city’s history.
Estimated Value: $3,000

 

Donation: New York 1929

Value: $3000

Custom Monogram Made Just For You

Have you ever shopped for old silver or antique linens and scrutinized the monograms that were both timelessly beautiful and utterly indecipherable? There is something to the curves and the loops, the motifs and the letters that get all tangled up and just look good. Allison R. Banks, monogram designer, has it figured out. When she creates a monogram that reflects you and your tastes, she’ll make it both beautiful and readable. Bid on this item, and Allison will design a unique monogram that suits you alone. (Click here to see more of her beautiful work.) Use the monogram when ordering calling or correspondence cards, or designing bed linens and towels. Get creative!

 

Note: 
– This is a hand-lettered, 2- or 3-letter monogram design, but Allison will give you a digital file or disk so that the image can be applied to cards and linens, whatever you need. Her busiest season is the pre-wedding spring and early summer.

What We Love About This Auction Item: Allison’s style is rooted in tradition to be sure, but her angles and inventiveness give each custom design a modern edge.

Value: $300

 

Gorgeous Garden Seat

We all know Leaf & Petal—at the Gardens, in the Village, by the Summit. Each shop has its own character, but they all have great style and inspire us every time we’re worried about what to plant in the garden, what gift to give the gardener, even what jewel to add to our collection. For Advent’s auction, Leaf & Petal owner and former Advent mom Lydia Pursell has donated this gorgeous garden seat. “The stool is made of wood, Asian style, and painted an ecru color with a slight sheen,” says Lydia. “It’s wonderful—one of my favorites.”

What We Love About This Auction Item: It’s great looking and does that chinoiserie-modern thing that chics up a sun porch or living room. Use it as a cocktail table or seat, and move it wherever it looks best.
Estimated Value: $250