USF Art Students Participate in ReStorAtion Art Auction

The third annual ReStorAtion Art Auction by Habitat for Humanity was held on Saturday, April 16, at Icon Event Hall + Lounge. Any artist in Sioux Falls can participate and pick up materials from Habitat for Humanity ReStore for free and then make the items artistically to sell them in the auction. All of the earnings donate to Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

Associate Professor of Art Ceca Cooper’s sculpture class participated the auction for the second time. “The head of the Habitat Restore called me with the idea. She said ‘Do you think this will be a good idea?’ and I said it will be a fantastic idea. So I was teaching sculpture at that time and I decided to have my sculpture class be a part of it,” Cooper says.

The goal of ReStorAtion Art Auction is to raise awareness about the ReStore and the power of recycling items. Habitat for Humanity ReStore aims to develop the connection between the ReStore, the construction, and Neighborhood Revitalization programs.

“The first year, which was three years ago, was a lot smaller. There weren’t that many artists that participated. It grows a little bit each year. But they are hoping to get more and more artists to participate,” Cooper says.

Habitat for Humanity ReStore has 300 tons of building material each year. All of them are donations of reusable home goods by individuals, contractors, and corporations. Those items include doors, light fixtures, tile and glass. The main purpose of ReStore is fundraising to build more Habitat for Humanity homes in Sioux Falls, allowing more families in need to purchase a nice home. In addition, ReStore provides new and gently used home improvement materials to anybody who needs them.

“This, the art auction, is actually the best way for artists. Artists get asked so often to donate artwork for charity. So this is the way that you can make a piece of art out of materials that they give us and then give back to community,” Cooper says. For last two years, through ReStorAtion Art Auction, Habitat for Humanity has raised $11,718, sold 81 pieces, and repurposed 142 ReStore items.

Six students in Ceca Cooper’s sculpture class participated the ReStorAtion Art Auction. One of the students, Tangi Andersen, made a table for the auction.

“I used the table stand with the leg and feet from ReStore and the rest I just purchased from around town,” Andersen says. Even though it was a part of the assignment, Andersen says that the process was very enjoyable.

“It is interesting to see the people that buy the stuff and draw them to it,” Andersen says.

The band Bangtail played with Chuck Sutton as the auctioneer. All ReStore artworks sold during the event.

Story by Zachary Brown, Tyler Riedman, & Yeeun Yun