Editor's pick: Going, going, gone…

The “Hour Town” clocks that have adorned Wayne County for the summer season are up for auction

WHEN: Saturday, August 18, 7:00 p.m.; doors open at 6:00 p.m. for preview.

WHERE: Honesdale High School, Honesdale, PA.

COST: Free.

CONTACT: waynecountyartsalliance.org 570/253-6850

HONESDALE, PA — Every year the Wayne County Arts Alliance invites local artists to participate in a public art project that provides whimsical adornment for the county during the summer months. Some kind of common base object is chosen—wooden deer, for example, or birdhouses—and the artists transform each one into a unique reflection of their creative vision. The resulting artworks are displayed around the county during the summer, then put up for auction at a concluding ceremony in August.

This year the project, “Hour Town,” provided artists with wooden clocks to decorate. The clocks, exhibiting a wide range of artistic sensibility from flamboyant fantasy to elegant chic, are adorned with everything from wigs, combs and a cocktail glass—there’s even a peacock—to meticulous representational painting and sophisticated decorative accents. Some have been transformed into fantasy animals—including a dog, a frog and a bird.

This Saturday, they will all be up for sale at a public art auction at Honesdale High School. The auction is the grand finale for Wayne County Arts Alliance summer art events, which have included an international food tasting, the Living Treasures documentary and exhibition, the Roots & Rhythm Music and Arts Festival and the fifth annual Open Studio Tour.

Well-known community supporter and auctioneer Bob Mermell will lead the proceedings. Complimentary refreshments will be provided. All proceeds go to help support the programs the Wayne County Arts Alliance sponsors for the community.