Promise Place, the council on domestic violence serving Fayette, Pike, Spalding and Upson counties, will host the second annual Hope Springs at Promise Place live and silent art auction this weekend.

The community is invited to participate in this fun event that will help raise funds for this groups which plays a vital role in the community. The art auction, which will be held once again at the Tyrone Depot, 847 Senoia Road, Tyrone, will take place on Saturday, March 15. The preview begins at 6:30 p.m. and the live auction starts at 7:30 p.m. Admission is a donation of $15 per person or $25 per couple which includes hors d'oeuvres, refreshments and hourly door prizes. Art provided by ARTcetra will include lithographs, oil and watercolor paintings and celebrity and sports collectibles.

This year art work donated by local artist Tracy Hartley will be a part of the collections up for bid. Hartley moved to Atlanta in the 1980s and began creating. Initially his artistic creations were mainly focused on music and videos. Later, wanting to turn his creative passion into a full time business, he moved on to building furniture from salvaged and recycled materials.

Over the years he has built a reputation and a big following for the uniqueness of his pieces. Recently, Hartley was inspired to dig even deeper into his artistic well.

“Two years ago I began perfecting my ‘recipe’ for my art. I work in a very mixed medium,” said Hartley. He now paints on canvas using “... a ‘loose style,’ mixing collage, spray paint, sharpies, glazes and stencils. Once a piece is almost finished, it is then distressed with fire and sandpaper.”

Roosters are often found among Hartley’s collections and will be a part of the artwork up for bid at the Promise Place fund-raiser.

Promise Place Art Auction Committee member Amy Leuenberger is thrilled to have Hartley’s artwork as part of the selection of beautiful and unique pieces up for bid.

“I fell in love with Tracy’s creative style and was thrilled when he offered to donate some of his art to our event,” Leuenberger said. “Knowing that Tracy has a heart for victims of domestic violence makes his artwork all the more meaningful.

“We appreciate Tracy and all the other generous friends of Promise Place such as ‘Rip’ Ripplinger of Tomberlin Golf Cart Company in Peachtree City, who has donated a golf cart that will be up for bid, and Chip Young, who has offered to let us use his Tyrone Depot for the second year in a row. Volunteers have been working hard to make this year’s auction as exciting and as successful as last year’s. We hope the community will come to support Promise Place and the work they do for those in crisis situations.”

Another hot item up for bid at the auction is a seven-day stay at a Tuscan villa.

Auction organizers are asking for RSVPs at 404-702-4490.

Promise Place serves over 1,200 women and children each year. Proceeds from the art auction will benefit the many programs for domestic violence victims and their children, as well as help to offset ongoing operating expenses for the emergency shelter.

Anyone can become a patron and support the services that Promise Place provides in the community. Community support provides legal advocacy, crisis hotline help, counseling for victims, counseling for children, a food pantry, Safe Dating Education in Fayette County schools and an emergency shelter for victims who need a safe and secure home.

To volunteer, make a donation or for more information on Promise Place call 770-460-1604.

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