22nd Box Art Auction Will Benefit East End Hospice

As the season starts to wind down and the evening light begins to fade just a bit earlier in the evening, many residents look forward to a favorite late summer happening on the South Fork — the annual Box Art Auction to benefit East End Hospice.

This truly unique event is held each year in Hoie Hall at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in East Hampton where guests are invited to put forth winning bids and take home original, one of a kind works of art by area artists that are all based on the same theme — the ubiquitous box.

On August 26, the 22nd Box Art Auction will be held at Hoie Hall and this year, over 80 artists have committed their time, energy and vision to create memorable works for the event.

“[Volunteers and artists] will say to me, ‘anything for hospice,’” said art dealer Arlene Bujese, who serves as the benefit’s chair and longtime curator of the Box Art Auction. “People come back year after year and their enthusiasm comes to me as well.”

East End Hospice provides a vital service in the area, and aims to improve lives in the community through expert care, comfort and compassion for terminally ill patients, caregivers and grieving families. The important mission of East End Hospice inspires many artists and bidders to create box art and buy tickets to raise money for the nonprofit organization.

“No one is turned away from East End Hospice and that is important to know,” Bujese added. “There is no discrimination.”

Artist Carol Hunt has attended and participated in the auction every year since the beginning.

“It’s a good chance to buy somebody’s art that is pretty affordable,” Hunt said. “I have shelves full of boxes. They are so beautiful and I know that the artists put a lot of work into them.”

As a painter, Hunt said that her boxes are typically more traditional, but she said that she enjoys seeing all the different and creative boxes that the other artists create using unique materials.

“The sculptors do some amazing things with their boxes,” Hunt noted. “David Slater has the most wonderful boxes. He collects all kinds of great objects and puts them in his boxes.”

Many of the artists who contribute boxes to the auction come back year after year to support East End Hospice through their work. Hunt is one of 12 artists who have contributed pieces to the Box Art Auction each year since its inception. This year, there are also six new artists who have joined in as well. Together, the creatives have formed a community of artists on the East End who come together to support a great cause.

“The whole concept is so wonderful, and they raise a lot of money,” Hunt said. “Arlene is so encouraging, and it is a great time to get together with the other artists. We look forward to it as an annual reunion, and every year she has new artists too and it’s nice to meet the new people.”

Barbara Maslen is another artist who has joined the community of returning box creators and has been participating in this auction for five years.

“Every year it is harder, because I try to outdo myself,” Maslen explained. “This year, I went with the nautical theme. I’ve lived in Sag Harbor for 30 years and my great joy is being by the water, and the ropes and scale are inspiration for my art.”

Maslen’s piece includes not one, but a series of various sized boxes, all painted with different sea-themed imagery, including a compass, fish, anchor or pirate flag.

“I think the whole box art thing is really playful. I love it,” Maslen said. “If you just think about the concept of the box, you always think: What is inside? I just love that people just start with a box and riff off of that.”

Maslen said that she enjoys being creative and coming up with different box creations each year. She aims to remain joyful and playful in her work. As a resident of the area, Maslen also believes in the importance of East End Hospice and all that they do for this community.

“It is a wonderful cause, and they are very well run,” Maslen noted. “What’s more important than facilitating someone dying peacefully and helping their family?”

Bujese agrees that East End Hospice is a wonderful cause, and she notes that events like the Box Art Auction not only raise funds, but also awareness of the existence of the organization.

“I see myself as an ambassador for hospice in public because it is such a tremendous service,” Bujese said. “A primary goal [of the auction] is to raise awareness of the good services of East End Hospice.”

The committee members for the auction are all dedicated to helping the organization. Bujese said that the committee members, alongside many of the artists, volunteer to work during the day of the auction to safeguard the boxes.

In her pursuit of new box art creators for the annual auction, Bujese said that she dedicates her time to attending a variety of different art shows throughout the year in search of professional artists.

“People like to know that these are working artists and sometimes the prices go up on these bids,” she said. “Professionalism does come into play because it shows a certain dedication to art.”

Beyond just professionalism, Bujese and her committee also look for diversity in the artists they invite to take part in the auction.

“I look for variety and creativity and we do have quite a variety of expression,” Bujese said. “There is something for everyone in terms of aesthetic taste.”

The auction is limited to around 85 different box artists, Bujese noted, because there is only so much room at Hoie Hall to accommodate art. There is also a size limit on the boxes of 18 inches because the work is supposed to be both affordable and portable.

Within these limitations, the artists face the unique challenge of creating art from a wine box, or a box of similar dimensions.

“It is intimidating,” Hunt said. “I am fearless in front of a large canvas but give me a box or little piece of paper and I get nervous.”

Despite the nerves, artists like Hunt return each year to support East End Hospice and come together as a community to share their creative work with each other.

“For me [East End Hospice] has always been an inspiration,” Bujese said, “It is an important cause and people need this kind of organization that tends to end of life issues.”

The 22nd annual Box Art Auction benefiting East End Hospice will take place on Saturday, August 26, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church Hoie Hall, 18 James Lane, East Hampton. The silent auction begins at 4:30 p.m., followed by a live auction led by auctioneer Lucas Hunt at 6 p.m. In addition, the Annual Spirit of Community Award will be presented to Kathleen King, founder of Tate’s Bake Shop. Admission to the auction is $100 and includes wine and hors d’oeuvres.

In the lead up to the event, the boxes will be on preview at Hoie Hall on Wednesday, August 23, (with a “Meet the Artist” reception from 5 to 7 p.m.) and Thursday, August 24, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A. St. Luke’s Hoie Hall is located at 18 James Lane, East Hampton. Visit eeh.org/events/event/box-art-auction/ for a preview of the 2023 boxes.