News Subscribe  to Our Newsletter Sign  up for Email Updates CGF  In the News Press  Inquiries Past  Articles Calendar			Art auction and sale  raise more than $70,000 by Cindy Rubin On the afternoon of October 30 under a canopy of majestic redwoods, art aficionados, environmental advocates and old and new friends of Committee for Green Foothills enjoyed delicious food and savored magnificent landscape art by some of the Bay Area's most accomplished artists. By any measure, Nature's  Inspirations: Celebrating the Arts was a highly successful event.  More than 300 guests attended the event and helped raise some $70,000  to support CGF's work. Assemblyman Joe  Simitian conducted a lively auction ensuring new homes for 11  outstanding works of art donated by the artists. Our outstanding volunteer committee organized the  event in memory of Jane Gallagher,  a celebrated painter, passionate defender of Peninsula open space and  dedicated Committee for Green Foothills board member. In her honor, CGF  presented the Jane  Gallagher award to Woodside painter Jim  Caldwell, one of twelve  Bay Area landscape artists selected to show at the art exhibition  and sale. Jim Caldwell says of his work, "With my painting I am trying to make the public more aware of the beauty of nature which surrounds us on the Peninsula, and the importance of its preservation." Caldwell has paintings in more than 250 collections worldwide from Paris to Japan. Born in New York in 1932, he moved to the Bay Area in 1950. He divides his time between painting and a practice in residential architecture at his studio in Woodside.  The jury  for the exhibition and award included CGF Board President (and bird photographer)  Peter LaTourrette along with three prominent art professionals: Elaine  French, Patricia Roman Hexter and Peter Lipman. The quartet evaluated  works from more than 40 artists before selecting Jim Caldwell as the award  winner and Patricia Wallis of Novato as the runner-up.  Also selected for the exhibition were JoAnne Horsfall  Beasley, Kay Duffy, Timothy Horn, Kerri Lawnsby, Julia Munger Seelos,  Carolyn Shaw, Sheila Sondik, Michelle Waters, Alex White and Thomas Wood.  Works from all exhibition artists can be viewed on our website at www.GreenFoothills.org/Art. Special thanks go to the scores of volunteers who helped with the display and sale of the art work, decorations, publicity and all the behind-the-scenes activities contributing to this very successful event.  And a round of applause to our lead sponsor, The  Mercury News and our generous supporters, including Hewlett-Packard  Company, Lockheed Martin, Tanya Slesnick and Ted Mitchell, and Lyn  Wyman and Dennis Dow. The participation of so many artists, guests, volunteers and sponsors reflects the commitment of Bay Area residents to environmental protection. Thank you all! Published November 2004 in Green  Footnotes . Page last updated November 8, 2004 .