MERIDEN — Gallery 53’s Animal and the Arts Auction concluded over the weekend with David Liseo, the owner of A-1 Services Inc., as the highest bidder for a stained-glass daffodil mosaic and a metal daffodil sculpture.
Liseo bid $800 for mosaic by Christine Webster, Gallery 53 president, and other local artists. He also bid $800 for the sculpture by Rick Grondin, an A-1 Services employee.
“I am building a new building right down the street from (Gallery 53) and have been a Meriden resident my whole life so I thought what better way to give back to the town than implementing that art into my new building,” Liseo said. “It just came together perfectly.”
Originally, Gallery 53 partnered with the Meriden Humane Society to auction off two daffodil sculptures and the mosaic. The gallery is located at 53 Colony St.
“We actually decided to take the second daffodil (sculpture) and instead of an auction, do a raffle because so many people are currently in difficult financial times and could afford a $5 ticket, but not bid on something as high as $800,” Webster said. “... It opens it up to more people. Ultimately, we’ll be splitting money so it’ll benefit both causes.”
Liseo was excited to hear he had the winning bid in the online auction.
“It’s very exciting. I was on pins and needles watching and wondering if I was going to get outbid at the last minute,” Liseo said.
Liseo was happy to help out both nonprofits and the artists by displaying the artwork in his business.
“It was important for me to sort of make that whole thing work with the sculpture and the stained glass,” Liseo said. “It’s a great way for the artists to get their artwork out there...”
Webster is hoping to do more auctions for mosaics.
“I thank those who did bid and I am delighted that it is going to be hanging down the street from us for everybody to see,” Webster said. “… This particular daffodil mosaic was done by some of my better mosaic students ... now they get to have a piece of their artwork on display and I think that will be a thrill for them.”
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