☆ Barn stars part of fundraiser in Springfield

Ludlow had its llamas, and Rutland has its hearts. Springfield now has its barn stars.
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20120624/NEWS02/706249891

Barn stars part of fundraiser in Springfield By SUSAN SMALLHEER Staff Writer SPRINGFIELD — Ludlow had its llamas, and Rutland has its hearts. Springfield now has its barn stars. The summertime fundraiser in Springfield will feature 30 or more of the large, four-foot barn stars, all of them decorated by local artists. Wendi Lashua Germain, a member of the Springfield Chamber of Commerce and executive director of the Springfield Justice Center, came up with the idea. Many communities around Vermont have raised funds in recent years by having artists decorate large plastic animals or objects such as moose or bears or cows. Springfield has branched out to the barn stars. “I was looking for something different,” said Germain. “Ludlow had its llamas and there was the statewide painters’ palettes a few years ago. I thought it should be something you could use,” she said. Springfield On The Move, the local downtown group, had done birdhouses last year, Germain said, and a few years ago had done Adirondack chairs. A barn star doesn’t need to go on a barn, she said. “You could hang them on your house or in your house,” she said. Most of the artists’ barn stars will be weatherproofed, she said, but a few that aren’t will be labeled. The stars will be displayed around town; in fact, some are already on display, The fundraiser, to benefit the Springfield Chamber of Commerce, will include an auction Saturday, July 21, at the Hartness House Inn. The stars will be auctioned off, along with additional items that have been donated to the effort, according to interim chamber director Carol Cole. Cole said if a business or individual wanted to sponsor a barn star, it is not too late. Germain said the group’s original goal was to have 50 barn stars to sell, but decided that auctioning off 50 stars would take too long. Germain said she would be posting photos of the different stars on the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook page in coming days. She said she would probably put up one a day, “instead of flooding it all at once.” She said there are already some stars on public display, including “a really cool geometric one; it plays tricks on your eyes,” by Sandra Williams on display at Gallery at the Vault. Canal Street Beads in Bellows Falls chose a whimsical scheme, “a bumblebee has a trail of black crystal beads,” said Germain. One striking creation is a star painted as a huge maple leaf in fall colors, done by Darlyn Walker. And artist Mona Frye incorporated another artist’s work in her star, studying the quilts of Truddi Greene and using her patterns on her star, Germain said. The artists are all from the Springfield region, she said. “We have professional artists and nonprofessional. They all sent me their ideas because we wanted to make sure of the quality and I’m really happy with the turnout,” she said. Cole said businesses and individuals sponsored individual stars. The auction will be held July 21 at 4 p.m. at the Hartness House Inn under the tent, with complimentary hors d’oeuvres. Further information is available at the chamber office at 885-2779 or email chamber@springfieldvt.com.