Following record-breaking fundraiser, Cascadia Art Museum to drop youth entrance fee

Lively bidding at the Cascadia Art Museum auction Aug. 25. (Photo by Larry Vogel)

Cascadia Art Museum’s Aug. 25 fundraising auction was the most successful in its three-year history, and as a result, the museum is eliminating entrance charges for children and teens.

An announcement from the museum Wednesday said the auction drew a record number of guests, 325, breaking last year’s number by 20 percent.

“We raised over $450,000—a stunning 43 percent higher than last year’s successful auction,” said museum president Lindsey Echelbarger.  “There was huge excitement in the tent and we knew that something big was happening during our ‘Raise the Paddle’ portion, but we didn’t know how big it was until the final tally on Sunday.”

Because of the record amount raised, the museum said it is eliminating entrance charges for children and teens. “This is something that we have wanted to do for a long time but because we are new we didn’t feel we could do it quite yet,” Echelbarger said. “But the amazing outpouring of support at the auction from our wonderful community allows us to do it now.

“We thank the entire Edmonds and South Snohomish County community for its tremendous support,” he added.

Gala chair Julie Long said that the money raised will allow the art museum to fulfill its mission to bring Northwest art to even more residents and to schools in the surrounding school districts.

Long also thanked the 50-plus volunteers who assisted with the Aug. 25 fundraiser. “Our volunteers are the most wonderful, hardworking folks in the world, dedicating thousands of hours for this one event,” she said. “We succeeded in a huge way because of them. We truly live in a wonderful, caring and giving community.”

 

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