Newberry CHAIR-ITY auction Friday

The Newberry Main Street organization will host its Whimsical Chair-ity Fundraiser starting at 1 p.m. on Friday at the Newberry Municipal Building.

A total of 27 chairs decorated by 23 local artists will be auctioned off to raise money to renovate the Newberry Tourist Development Center and the Fire House Gallery and Studio. The chairs each have a unique design, with themes ranging from “Hot Rod” to “The Avatar.” This will be the first time that all of the chairs, which have been displayed at various locations in Newberry and Jonesville throughout the month of November, will be presented together.

The chairs will be displayed at 1 p.m. and viewers will be able to vote for their favorites to win one of the three People’s Choice awards that will be given out. Between 6 and 7 p.m., the artists will be doing a meet and greet and autographing calendars illustrated with pictures of their chairs. The awards will be presented at 7 p.m. and the auction will follow.

Proceeds from the event will benefit two of Newberry Main Street Organization’s most recent endeavors to bring people to downtown Newberry. In August, the City of Newberry approved leasing an office building for free to the Newberry Main Street. Barbara Hendrix, main street manager, said that the organization decided to use the extra space in the office to develop “incubator” businesses. The results were the Newberry Tourist Development Center and the Fire House Gallery and Studio.

The Newberry Tourism Development Center informs visitors about the businesses and attractions the area has to offer. Hendrix said she hopes the people who will be coming to Newberry for Nations Ballpark will stop by to find out about other things they can do during their stay.

Friday night will also serve as a soft opening for the Fire House Gallery and Studio. The space, which is across from the Newberry Municipal Building, will serve as a showroom for local artists and a studio where children and adults can take pottery and painting classes.