The Fernandina Beach Police Foundation (FBPF) is holding a ticketed VIP art auction to benefit its quality of life programs in the city of Fernandina Beach. The event, which includes silent and live auctions of more than 50 works of art in various styles and mediums, will be held Monday, April 24, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at The Alley at Amelia Tavern at 316 Centre Street.
Tickets are limited due to space and are available in advance at Eventbrite here. Tickets include bid privileges along with drinks and light appetizers. Advance tickets bought by April 21 are $25. Tickets at the door (if available) will be $35.
The auction will include paintings, drawings, and metal and glassworks from local and notable artists. The live auction will feature a large, framed photograph by Steve Leimberg and a set of four local scenery watercolors by Sid Sax. Both authors are being honored at the event posthumously. Before his death in 2022, Leimberg became known as “The Bird Man of Amelia” based on a series of published images and a photo album “Birds of Amelia,” reminding us of the avian beauty that surrounds us every day. Sax was a longtime Centre Street merchant and watercolor painter who painted local sights before his death in 2009.
The featured art has been donated by local artists, local private collectors and others who support the Fernandina Beach Police Department and the Fernandina Beach Police Foundation. Artists involved in the Island Art Association, Blue Door Artists gallery and Plantation Artists’ Guild donated special works and will be present at the event. John Drew, Nassau County Tax Collector and professional auctioneer will host the live auction.
The Fernandina Beach Police Foundation raises funds and administers special programs including Signal 35 Officer Assistance Program, annual Shop with Cops event, Chaplaincy Program within the department along with support for the Police Auxiliary Corps (PAC). It also participates and sustains programs such as Beyond the Badges basketball game between firefighters and cops, Safe in Place, a senior-focused outreach program, Trick-or-Treat for our community, Beach Patrol for our shoreline and its visitors, along with the annual Fernandina Beach Police Foundation Education Scholarship. It is a 501(c)(3) non-profit.