East End Hospice’s Box Art Auction Returns for 25th Year of Miniature Masterpieces and Meaningful Giving

For a quarter of a century, artists from across Long Island’s East End have been curating special pieces of art to auction off for a good cause — to benefit East End Hospice.

Emily Madsen, the director of development at the hospice, said that East End Hospice is the only nonprofit provider that services eastern Suffolk County. It is also the only recognized five-star hospice on Long Island and in New York City, and within the top three of the state.

“The community we serve encompasses over 450 square miles across the North and South Forks,” she said, adding that the hospice also provide for patients in Montauk, Shelter Island, Fishers Island and west to East Patchogue, Yaphank and Wading River. “It’s a really big territory.”

Madsen said that about 80 percent of patients receive care at home, which means that nurses, social workers, hospice works and volunteers are at those homes at any given time and serve roughly 775 patients per year.

“We’re proud of outstanding quality and service to the community,” she said.

East End Hospice’s mission is to “improve the lives across Eastern Long Island through expert care, comfort and compassion for terminally ill patients, caregivers and grieving families.” They also accept all patients, regardless of insurance status, and no patient or family ever receives a bill for care. While 80 percent of the cost of caring for a patient is covered by insurance, generous donations help fund the rest.

“The Box Art Auction and other fundraising efforts help support that,” Madsen said.

Thinking Outside the Box

It all began 25 years ago, when over 100 artists with connections to East End communities were asked to take a small, unadorned box and create unique works of art that could be put up for auction to benefit the new East End Hospice. So successful was that first auction that it has been repeated annually, except during the COVID-19 pandemic, and is well-established as a highlight event of the late-summer East Hampton season.

Arlene Bujese, the benefit chair and curator since year two of the auction, said that some 80 professional artists on the East End have once again contributed their time, talent and singular creativity to produce works of portable art to celebrate the momentous anniversary and worthy cause.

“It’s such a meaningful cause and a fun event,” Bujese said. “It’s a great opportunity to go home with wonderful, affordable, portable art.”

Bujese said her role is to go out into the art community and find new, exciting artists who are willing to create small pieces of artwork that must fit in the confines of a cigar or wine box. Some do sculptures, some use canvas and paint. Others use fabrics, upcycled materials or photographs. The possibilities are endless, and there is something for everyone.

Marilyn Church of Amagansett has been participating in the auction since year one.

Church, who has been a court room artist for 40 years sketching some of the most infamous cases, chooses to paint themes surrounding the beach for her personal work.

“I’ve been spending my summers out here since I was 18,” she said. “I love the beach, that’s why I’m here and not in another kind of artist community.”

Church said a lot of her paintings have to do with the beach and have strong beach influence. This year’s box art, called “Summer Dream,” evokes what she loves about the area where she lives.

“I love the feeling of the water, the air … those are the things that I love here,” she said. “Watching and being by the water is what I’m here for.”

She said this particular piece actually comes from a collage she created about a decade ago that hangs on her wall. She sees it every day and thought to herself, “I wish I could translate that into a painting.”

“The more I looked at it, it was perfect for the box,” she said, noting that it’s hard to translate collage into a flat 2D work of art. “But it was a wonderful challenge.”

Church said that she loves coming back every year because the auction signifies different things.

“I love doing the box art. I love what it benefits and I love the timing of it,” she said. “When I get invited to come back in the beginning of March, it’s the beginning of spring, end of winter and I can start thinking these beach thoughts.”

Church added that the auction is a great event and something she gets excited about early on.

“It’s such a good benefit. There is fantastic art being introduced every year,” she said. “If you want to buy art for your home or as a gift, this offers some of the most well-known artists and emerging artists providing different art.”

Another artist, Eric Dever, has been participating for about five years, he said. His work concentrates on plant life; trees, scenes from his garden, arboretums, reserves and historic vistas. He works on canvas, too.

Compared to some of his contemporaries at the auction, Dever thinks a little bit outside the box. He’ll paint a full-fledged painting, stick Velcro onto the back of the canvas and attach it to the box.

“I turn the box into an easel,” he said. “So, people are getting an original painting.”

Dever, whose studio is in Water Mill, said that this year’s artwork, “Agapanthus L’heure Bleue,” looks at the twilight of the Northeast latitude, which comes of a very special blue. He, too, believes in the mission of the auction, and that’s why he comes back every year since his first show.

“At the time of birth, there’s so much time spent raising children and babies, but the end of life is something that’s neglected,” he said. “We’re so unprepared for that and hospice is the most humane program and belief that exists so people can have a peaceful end of life transition.”

Dever said that not only is the auction a fun event, but it also brings awareness and helps humanize the program. Plus, the funding goes straight to East End Hospice to help others.

“It’s a win, win, win,” he said.

East End Hospice

Madsen said that the auction is always a special time for the organization. Since it started, local artists have not only donated their work to the event, but also to the Kanas Center for Hospice Care — East End Hospice’s location in Westhampton.

Opened in 2016, the Kanas Center accommodates patients whose symptoms cannot be managed at home or in other settings. Each of the eight patient suites has private facilities, ample storage and outdoor space. Care is overseen by the East End Hospice medical director with nurse practitioners on site every day. There is a 24-hour visitation policy that accommodates family, friends and pets.

“When we opened, we had an amazing outreach effort to local artists and asked them in addition to the box art if they would be part of a permanent collection at the center,” she said.

Funding from the auction, and its other philanthropic events, not only help support the several-hundred patients, but assists in continuing other programs and services the hospice offers.

Madsen said they also support families through grief and bereavement, including a comprehensive children’s bereavement program and Camp Good Grief — a day camp for children ages 4 to 17.

“It’s not just about medicine when we think about hospice, but there’s all the emotional support that goes into it, too,” she said. “Finding out who our patients are on a personal level, we dive into that and offer other services to them.”

Last year, East End Hospice raised over $90,000 from the auction. This year, as it’s the 25th anniversary, Madsen is “hopefully optimistic to surpass $1 million” in cumulative fundraising impact since the event’s inception.

“When the artists are asked to join, it’s always an enthusiastic yes,” she said.

The Auction

Leading up to the benefit, the boxes can be previewed at St. Luke’s Church’s Hoie Hall in East Hampton located at 18 James Lane on Wednesday, August 20, and Thursday, August 21, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A public “meet the artist” night will be held at the hall on August 20 from 5 to 7 p.m.

The August 23 benefit will begin with a silent auction at 4:30 p.m. and the live auction will follow at 5:45 p.m., with Lucas Hunt as auctioneer. Wine and light refreshments are included in the $100 benefit ticket price.

Among the artists who have answered the call to create unique boxes for this anniversary year are artists who have participated since the event’s inception and others who are participating for the first time. They include Monica Banks, Darlene Charneco, Marilyn Church, Eric Dever, Durell Godfrey, Leif Hope, Carol Hunt, Dennis Leri, Christa Maiwald, Fulvio Massi, Paton Miller, Roy Nicholson, Gabriele Raacke, Dan Rizzie, Randall Rosenthal, Hans van de Bovenkamp and Dan Welden.

The boxes can be viewed in advance on the East End Hospice website at eeh.org. To place an absentee bid or to receive an invitation, please contact AJ Pegno at the East End Hospice development office (631-288-7080) or via email at apegno@eeh.org.