Perfect Pairings: Great Food & Fine Wine in a Lush Tropical Garden

I don't know about you, but after this latest streak of snow, frigid temperatures, and biting cold wind, a tropical getaway to warmer surroundings sounds pretty inviting. On February 6, you can get away to the tropics – without ever leaving Rhode Island!

That's the bonus of attending this year's An Evening Uncorked, the annual food and wine event to benefit WSBE Rhode Island PBS. This year's gala will be held in New England's largest indoor garden, the Botanical Center at Roger Williams Park, on Saturday, February 6 at 7 P.M.


Amid lush exotic flowers and trees, chefs from 10 of Rhode Island’s top restaurants will prepare tasting-sized portions of dishes that will be paired with just the right wine to complement the flavors. Participating restaurants are 1149, 3 Steeple Street, Blaze, Capital Grille, Gracie's, Haruki, New Rivers, Nick’s on Broadway, Pot Au Feu, and Trio. MS Walker will provide the wines.

An Evening Uncorked will also feature live and silent auctions of highly collectible wines. The fundraiser is co-chaired by Aldo Cipriano, Gary Light, and Greg Mitrakas.

Tickets to An Evening Uncorked are $100 per person and must be purchased in advance. Call 401-222-3636, x327, or visit our Web site. The popular event has sold out in past years, so get your tickets early to avoid disappointment. Since alcohol is served, this event is open to adults 21 years of age or older only. Cocktail attire is appropriate. (I plan to wear pretty shoes - not practical snow boots. Hope the weather cooperates with my plan.)


An Evening Uncorked is underwritten by Gencorp Insurance Group, and Adler Pollock and Sheehan, PC. All proceeds benefit WSBE Rhode Island PBS.

Connecting with art

Making a Connection

A personal favorite station event of mine is the Rhode Island PBS Arts Auction. Some incredible original and limited-edition signed and numbered artist reproductions are available, usually at enormous savings. Plus I get to support local public television, a "cause" in which I strongly believe. For me, it's a win-win (as are all of our auctions, actually).

But there's something about the Arts Auction that elevates my spirit in a different way - the beauty of art. Connecting with the artist on a personal level of silent understanding; I "get" what the artist wanted to convey, and I am touched by it, moved, satisfied. Of course, there are always works I see that do not make that connection with me. Those are the pieces others will buy - folks with whom a personal connection is made. 


Find Your Style

Make your connection. Find your style. For sure, it's there! The 2009 Arts Auction ends this Sunday, October 25. Items are both on the Web and on exhibit at the Rhode Island Convention Center, Providence.

There's no Arts Auction on TV this year. Everything is online; please feel free to browse for your favorite items and bid!

Even better, visit our collection in person at the RI Convention Center, if you can. There is nothing like seeing a work up-close, to see the variations of light and dark, and nuances of color. This applies to jewelry, pottery, and sculpture, as well as the paintings. As good as the online photos are, you get a different perspective - and appreciation - at the exhibit.

Currently, all items are displayed in the street-level West Lobby. Thursday we'll move 30 premiere artworks upstairs to the Providence Fine Furnishings Show, which runs Friday-Sunday. Everything else stays in the West Lobby. You can bid on every item through Sunday evening either downtown or on our Web site (ripbs.org).

Put an item "On Watch": A Way To Track Its Progress Before You Bid

As a registered bidder, you can follow your favorite items - even if you're not yet ready to bid. Watch them by clicking "Add to My Items" on the description pages, next to the pictures. Then, visit "My Items" to track them. You can even get email alerts when they receive bids.


- Lucie Raposo Houle

2009 Arts Auction: A True Multi-Media Event

 Call it a "multi-media event" – in more ways than one.

The 2009 Arts Auction to benefit WSBE Rhode Island PBS includes fine works of art by renowned and emerging local artists and artisans. Oil, pastels, watercolor; steel, bronze, copper; clay, glass, plaster – whatever the medium of choice for artistic expression – become landscapes, portraits, still lifes, in a variety of styles from abstract to realism, modern to traditional. Sculptures, kinetics, jewelry, pottery, and textiles satisfy the tactile sense, while stunning photography proves life does imitate art.

This year's featured artists include Del-Bouree Bach, Harley Bartlett, Kyle Bartlett, Richard Benjamin, Kris Donovan, Richard Grosvenor, John MacGowan, Cynthia Whalen Nelson, Michael Rich, Anne Mimi Sammis, David Schock, Walter T. Scott, Jr., and Anthony Tomaselli.

The way the Art Auction will be made accessible to art collectors and the public is its own multi-media event, too – in person, on television, and over the Internet.

Until 11:59 P.M. on October 25, all items will be available for online viewing and bidding at www.ripbs.org.

WSBE Rhode Island PBS is also airing a special half-hour television program, showcasing selected art work and profiling several artists at work. The Preview Show will air throughout October on WSBE Rhode Island PBS. (See specific air dates and times in a separate listing.)

For those who prefer a more up-close-and-personal view of the art, the complete collection of donated works is on exhibit in the Rhode Island Convention Center (RICC) Lobby through October 25. Computers are available at the RICC to take visitors' bids. A special Rhode Island PBS Fine Arts Exhibit will also be featured in the Providence Fine Furnishings Show, October 23 through 25.

The gallery exhibit in the RICC lobby is free. For more information about the 2009 Rhode Island PBS Arts Auction, visit www.ripbs.org or call 401-222-3636, ext 327. For details and tickets to the Providence Fine Furnishings Show, visit www.finefurnishingsshow.com.

Spring Auction Streaming Live Online

Quick update: The Rhode Island PBS Spring Auction will stream online tonight and each night this week, at http://www.onworldwide.com/!! Just click on the colorful "ON TV" icon at the bottom of the page and watch the live broadcast after 7 PM.

To bid, go to ripbs.org. : )

Curtain About to Rise on 2009 Rhode Island PBS Spring Auction (but place your bids online!)

The annual Rhode Island PBS Spring Auction will be televised later tonight (Monday) through Friday, April 20-24, beginning at 7 PM each evening on digital 36.1, Cox/Verizon/FullChannel 8, DirecTV 36, Dish 7776 (Massachusetts cable subscribers should check local listings for channel). All auction items can be seen online at www.ripbs.org.

Every single item - from a $10 pizza to the $24,000 Prius - is available for viewing and bidding online. All bids will be placed online, whether it's by the bidders on computers at home, or by the volunteers taking bids over the phone in the studio.

This year's auction includes a Green Gallery that showcases environmentally-considerate goods and services. However, because of the way the items have to be categorized on the auction site, there are actually several more 'green' items than show up in that category. For example, the Toyota Prius Hybrid sedan (donated by Your New England Toyota Dealer) and fuel-efficient Vespa motor scooter (donated by Vespa Newport and Providence Motorsports) are listed under "Auto." Look, too, under "Household Goods" and "Home Improvement" for more 'green' items.

The Auction team Jeff Hartley, Paul Zangari, and our dedicated volunteer Harriet Deaver and intern Nick Pagano worked hard to coordinate the event you will see unfold this week - as well as hundreds more details you'll never see - to make this year's auction a success. There is also a cadre of loyal volunteers (who return year after year to donate their precious time) who have picked up, photographed, sorted, and wrote descriptions of the items. It really is a phenomenal machine, this organization within an organization!

Curtain's about to rise; the show's ready to start. But the online component means geography is no hindrance. Where ever you may be located - New England or England - you can scope out the goods, place your best bid, and know the money you invest is money well-placed.

Rhode Island PBS Spring Auction Preview

With more than 800 items and counting, the Rhode Island PBS Spring Auction has something for everyone, and something to fit every budget! These two videos are just a small sampling of what we have. Check out all the items so far at www.ripbs.org.

You can do it all online! Preview, place a bid, submit a proxy bid, check the end times of your favorite auctions, and track competing bids in real time. It's on TV live April 20-24 starting at 7PM, but official bidding is online exclusively.

Rhode Island PBS broadcasts over-the-air on digital 36.1; Cox/Verizon/FullChannel 8; DirecTV 36; Dish 7776; MA cable subscribers should check cable listings for local channel number.

Show Me What You've Got, Rhode Island PBS!

With hundreds of items of all shapes, sizes, and value available, how do organizers of the Rhode Island PBS Spring Auction show off more of the great merchandise before the event? Put everything online, plus produce a short preview special!

"We already have more than 700 auction items donated this year," said Auction Director Jeffrey Hartley. "In this economy, that speaks to the enormous generosity and support of our donor companies and individuals." He added, "There literally is something for everyone, and in every price range."

Jeff Hartley, who lives in North Smithfield, has been the Rhode Island PBS auction director for seven years, and an employee of WSBE Rhode Island PBS for 21 years. In that time, he has seen technology undergo a huge revolution, and he has kept pace by moving more and more auction activity online.

"This year, for the first time, we have every single Spring Auction item available online," Hartley said. "Last year, we featured the spotlight items - items of higher donor value - and [online bidding] was well received. This year, everything is online, from a $10 pizza to the $24,000 Prius."

Fans of the popular annual event who do not have online access can still watch it live on television and call in to place bids, Monday April 20 through Friday, April 24, beginning at 7 P.M.

"All bids will be placed online, whether it's by the bidders on computers at home, or by the volunteers taking bids over the phone in the studio," Hartley explained.

This year's auction has a Green Gallery that showcases environmentally-considerate goods and services, including the top dollar-value item, a Toyota Prius hybrid sedan, donated by Your New England Toyota Dealer, plus a Vespa LX 50, donated by Vespa Newport and Providence Motorsports.

Conducting the auction online opens it up to a world-wide audience. "Last year, we had auction winners from all over the country, even as far away as California," Hartley said.

Casting a wider net using the 'Net increases visibility and positive exposure for the station – and the many businesses that donated. But it's still the close connection to the local community that differentiates Rhode Island PBS from other public television stations.

"The heart and soul of Rhode Island PBS are our members, donors, and volunteers," Hartley stated. "There is no greater proof of that than our Spring Auction."

More than two dozen of the 700 auction items are featured in a short special preview show that airs at various times throughout April:

• Friday, April 10 at 7 P.M.
• Sunday, April 12 at 9 P.M.
• Tuesday, April 14 at 1:30 A.M.
• Wednesday, April 15 at 2:30 P.M.
• Friday, April 17 at 7 P.M.
• Saturday, April 18 at 1:30 P.M.
• Sunday, April 19 at 11 P.M.

To view auction items, bid, or for more information about the online auction, visit ripbs.org.

It's Good for Business... Yours and Ours

Not wanting to sound overly "sales-y" or blow smoke in anyone's face, I tend to choose my words carefully, even if my job at the station is promotion.

Honesty is a far better way to build a good relationship. Sure, a misleading or exaggerated statement can make a big splash. But if it's later found to be false, the hollowness left behind is far more damaging than saying nothing at all.

There's no doubt this is a tough economic period for everyone. In significant ways, non-profits are pinched even more; we rely on the generosity of our supporters to keep going. When those supporters are preoccupied with stretching their resources to make ends meet, thoughts of being generous - no matter how well-intentioned - fade off their radar.

That brings me to the 2009 Spring Auction.

The auction is another story. Businesses who donate goods or services get back at least as much - sometimes far more - in publicity and public relations value than they give.

It's bartering, really. There's no actual money that changes hands. We call it a donation, but it's not a donation in the traditional sense, where one party gives something to another without getting anything in return. Our donor-businesses get plenty in return - not the least of which is being associated in public with the quality and trust of the PBS brand.

Trading goods and services for air time on Rhode Island PBS allows even the smallest business with no advertising budget to get in front of consumers, and stand elbow to elbow with larger companies (maybe even competitors).

An Evening Uncorked!

It's one of the station's best events. The food is phenomenal, the variety of wines is amazing, and the fun is... over the top. Technically, it's our annual wine auction, but it really is a wine event - "An Evening Uncorked!"

The image to the left is our publicity materials for this year - a quick way to convey what the event is about. When I considered how to describe the event, I was surprised to find the right words on both ends of the scale - not quite opposite, but certainly in high contrast to each other.

The event really is at the same time elegant and casual (we all put on nice clothes but we don't put on airs), intimate and sociable (we sit at tables in small groups, but there's so much mingling all night) , epicurean and philanthropic (the foods and wines stoke our gustatory pleasure - which is pretty self-focused - but we gather to generously raise money for Rhode Island PBS).

For this, our eighth consecutive year, we return on October 3rd to the site of the original wine event: the historic Roger Williams Park Casino. This stately historic mansion is a lovely setting for this event, and it's nice to be back.

Tickets are $100 per person (table of 10 for $900) and include an elaborate wine tasting reception at 6, featuring international and domestic wines, and passed hors d'oeuvres; formal gourmet dinner and dessert at 7:30, and wine with dinner.

During the reception, browse the silent auction of collectible wines, bar and beverage gifts and accessories... and always a few tempting surprises. After dinner, the live auction introduces a variety of rare and fine wines, and unique dining and entertainment packages.

Here's a small sample of the offerings:

• Seven-course dinner and wine tasting in your home by Gracie's Restaurant
• Vertical selection of classified Bourdeaux from the 2000 vintage
• Nine-bottle collection of top-rated California and Washington red wines
• Three-bottle collection of Peter Michael wines
  
• Overnight stay and dinner at the The Renaissance Providence Hotel

Visit our Web site (www.ripbs.org) to see other items - even place a proxy bid if you can't attend!

* * * * *
Have you attended An Evening Uncorked in the past? Have any stories or memories you wish to share?

Spring (Auction) Fever

If it's Spring, it's time for the Rhode Island PBS SPRING AUCTION!

Sure enough, today is the first day of online bidding for Spotlight items!

Spotlight items (formerly called Majors and Specials) are our most sought after, unique, and exciting donations. When you click on an item, you'll find all the details you need to make an informed bid, including images, a link to the donor's website, and the sell-off time. Spotlight items will be auctioned online only on Saturday, April 26.

Hundreds of other great items will be available for live auction each night during our televised auction April 21 - April 26, starting at 7 PM Monday-Friday, and at 5PM on Saturday.

Don't Miss That Great Buy Again!

This year, the rapid response from our hundreds of generous donors combined flawlessly with advanced technology - and a lot of sweat and organization by our two auction staff - to make an important improvement we've been dreaming of for years. For the first time ever, the entire schedule of items - the day and time (within a half hour) that an item will be auctioned - is available online in advance of the televised auction. In fact, the schedule is ready right NOW.

This improvement allows us to show you that we acknowledge and respect your limited viewing time. As exciting and important as the live auction is - it's THE priority for all station staff for that entire week - we know you may not be able to dedicate your week glued to your television for four hours a night, waiting for those items you know we'll be featuring at some point.

Now, if you invest a little time reviewing the schedule first, you can KNOW when we'll auction off all those great buys that peak your interest, and you can plan to watch, bid, and WIN!

Everybody Wins

The Spring Auction is the biggest fund raising event for the station. The money we raise from winning bids goes a long way in keeping the programs you love to watch on Rhode Island PBS.

The auction is a win-win-WIN deal:

1. Local businesses win by making a tax-deductible charitable donation, and receiving on-air television recognition for their generosity.
2. High bidders win by supporting high quality programs and specials on Rhode Island PBS, and get great deals for their generosity.
3. Rhode Island PBS wins by getting the funds we need to deliver the quality programming you just can't find on other channels, without commercial interruption.

Browse online SPOTLIGHT items here

Review the live auction SCHEDULE here