It’s been said you are what you eat. But, in a world of ever-changing fad diets and trendy meal plans, one’s appetite is changed easier than underwear.
You are what you save might then be a better adage.
Or, as Canadian filmmaker David Furnish once said, “A good art collection is emblematic of the people collecting it.”
It’s character as seen in collection. Experience displayed via an exhibition.
Such is exactly the case in the example of George Sterling.
The noted Bainbridge Island collector will be displaying his never-before-seen collection of native art and artifacts from around the world for the first — and perhaps the last — time at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23 at Wing Point Golf &Country Club as a fundraiser for the Bainbridge Schools Foundation.
The exhibition, “Native Artifacts from Around the World,” is a partnership between Sterling and Mairead Shutt, BSF’s executive director, in a combination of like interests and mutual passions.
“He is charming, hilarious, and wonderful,” Shutt said of the man behind the collection. “BSF is grateful for the opportunity to partner with George and Margaret Sterling to share their incredible collection with the Bainbridge Island Community.”
Sterling, a former teacher, merchandiser and avid international traveler, has amassed a sizable collection of basketry, antique jewelry, textiles and Navajo pottery.
“It has been the joy of my life to learn about native cultures in Asia, Africa and closer to home,” Sterling said.
“My wife Margaret recently asked me to think about what to do with this collection. I look forward to sharing the collection with our community and supporting arts and humanities programs in our schools at the same time.”
The event has a suggested minimum donation of $100, and all proceeds will support BSF’s Arts and Humanities Fund. While perusing the display, guests will get the chance to enjoy wine, light food and a live musical performance by several high school musicians.
The event was a perfect fit for BSF, Shutt said, and complimented the group’s mission well.
“George and Margaret Sterling are long-time champions of public education,” she said. “George is a former school teacher and has been a friend and advocate of BSF since 2005.
“The idea piqued our interest because it is an opportunity for people in our community to enjoy this unique collection. An opportunity to immerse ourselves in cultural history and to study the world around us is both educational and inspirational.
“It feels like a mini Burke Museum-type exhibit coming to our island,” she added.
BSF’s guiding mission, Shutt said, is to raise funds, leverage resources and act as a catalyst to involve the community in education.
“We focus on supporting educators, academic support, and innovative programs,” she said. “When you donate to BSF, you are investing in a high-quality public education for every person in our public schools.”
The funds raised for this event benefit Bainbridge Schools Foundation’s Arts and Humanities Fund specifically, which funds programs at Bainbridge High School and Eagle Harbor High School.
In the past, these funds have been used to bring innovative and engaging historical scholars to speak to students, funded hands-on workshops and poetry field trips, and brought artists into the classroom to teach students.
“The goal is to inspire students during the learning process,” Shutt explained.
For more information, visit www.bainbridgeschoolsfoundation.org or call 206-855-0558.
