MORRIS COUNTY

Art auction fundraiser held at Frelinghuysen Mansion in Morris Twp.

SPECIAL TO THE DAILY RECORD

MORRIS TWP. The Friends of Fosterfields and Cooper Mill held a Silent Art Auction Saturday at the Frelinghuysen Mansion.

Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen speaks with volunteer Anne Bukata at the Friends of Fosterfields and Cooper Mill event.

The Silent Art Auction raised funds for the retirement of Calvin and Hobbes, the beloved draft horses currently at Fosterfields Living Historical Farm in Morris Township and the future purchase of a new draft horse team for the farm.

The Silent Art Auction offered the public its first opportunity to tour the Frelinghuysen Mansion, while bidding on works of art displayed by more than 20 renowned, and internationally known, artists and photographers.

Harpist Laurel Grube entertained the crowds while visitors enjoyed docent-led tours of the mansion and ate hors d’oeuvres and drank special wine for the occasion.

Harpist Laurel Grubehe plays at Silent Art Auction at the Frelinghuysen Mansion, where works from many internationally known artists and photographers were sold, all to benefit Calvin and Hobbes, the draft horses at Fosterfields Living Historical Farm.

The artists participating in the Silent Art Auction included Medy Bozkurtian, Dan Campanelli, Jason Chang, PSA, Christina DeBarry, PSA, Elaine Erny, Gaile Hibbs, Jenny Lee, PSA, R. Luzatto, Ken Marcell, Maceo Mitchell, PSA, Shahbudin Mohd, Andrea Placer, Elissa Prystauk, PSA, and Patricia Wynne.

Photographers who also participated included Ralph Iacobelli, John Parsekian, William Prystauk, Karel Raska, and Caryn Seifer.

Dan Goodfriend points out artwork to Linda Barth of Somerville at the Friends of Fosterfields and Cooper Mill hosted Silent Art Auction at the Frelinghuysen Mansion.

The historical and cultural significance of The Frelinghuysen Mansion is shared by docents stationed throughout the mansion and the Rose Garden. Whippany Farm was home to George Griswold Frelinghuysen and his wife Sara Ballantine Frelinghuysen, who built their Colonial Revival-style summer home, and a carriage house, there in 1891. The surrounding property was designed and landscaped in the style of an English country estate. It was bequeathed to the Morris County Park Commission in 1969 by their daughter Matilda E. Frelinghuysen, whose intentions were for the development of a public arboretum.

The purpose and objective of the nonprofit Friends of Fosterfields and Cooper Mill organization is to assist the Morris County Park Commission in maintaining a living historical farm and related historic enterprises, and to promote and sponsor an education program of historical and agricultural projects and activities.

For more information or for a full list of programs by the Morris County Park Commission, visit www.morrisparks.net.