A shoe box-sized piece from Laurie Bieze

If good things come in small packages, which package is best suited to works of art? According to L.E. Phillips Memorial Library, a shoebox should be just about right. The “Summer Shoe Box Show,” a summer-long exhibit featuring artwork small enough to fit inside a shoebox, culminates at the Eau Claire library on Aug. 25 with an auction and reception from 6:30 to 8:30pm. Many of the pint-sized works in the exhibit will be auctioned off to help fund enhancements to the art gallery.

The show features artwork created specifically for this exhibit, and includes work by more than 40 local artists, including David Brock and Andy Shafer. “The artists went in a lot of different directions with their submissions,” says Larry Nickel, who works in public relations for the library. The exhibit features paintings, drawings, sculptures, mixed media work, and, in a cheeky play on the show’s theme, a pair of sparkly high heels. 

“The auction and gala event is going to be worthwhile, whether you are bidding on pieces or not,” according to Nickel, who is looking forward to the gourmet appetizers and entertainment.  The BareBones Improv Group will perform, and music will come courtesy of the Trillium Flute Quartet. The auction will include a silent and live portion emceed by Volume One Online Editor Mike Paulus and Senior Contributor Ken Szymanski, and features bids as low as $10. “You never know what price you will get,” Nickel says.