Arts Commission raises $58,843 for Whitaker sculpture, $10,000 over goal

Patty, an Arts Commission member overseeing fundraising, reported that the commission raised $58,843 for the Whitaker sculptures, surpassing a $48,700 goal.

The total matters because the commission had been soliciting private donations and reallocations to fund public sculpture already installed or planned in Ivins. The money closes the funding gap the commission had been working to fill.

Patty gave a breakdown of the proceeds: $35,500 (about 60 percent) came from direct donations, $15,000 (about 26 percent) was an NEA grant transfer that donors elected to redirect to the sculpture, and $8,186 (about 14 percent) came from a silent auction organized as part of Heritage Days. Patty said 119 people donated to the sculpture drive; the average donation was about $494 and the median donation was $100.

“If we had not had that $15,000 NEA transfer, we still would have been short $5,000,” Patty said, describing how the NEA transfer affected the final tally.

Commission members praised volunteers who organized fundraising and the silent auction. Liz, who helped coordinate the auction, credited Sherry Stoddard and donated artworks for the event’s success: “That silent auction was just tremendous,” she said, noting gallery donors provided high-quality pieces that attracted buyers.

The commission recorded the donor counts and auction results for bookkeeping and said it will continue discussing long-term stewardship and placement of the Whitaker sculptures in future meetings.

Patty said the fundraising effort had been “extremely difficult” and thanked volunteers who organized outreach and the auction. No formal council action was taken at this meeting; the report was an internal accounting and recap for the commission.