UA’s Arty Party to Benefit Creative Writing Program

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — A set of solid silver elephant cuff links, a New York weekend vacation package, a Nick Saban autographed football, and accommodations for a week in a Buenos Aires, Argentina apartment are just a few of the items that will be auctioned at the ninth Arty Party fundraiser hosted by The University of Alabama’s College of Arts and Sciences Leadership Board.

The event, “Writing On The River,” will focus on the creative writing program in UA’s department of English and will be held April 5 at 6 p.m. at The Pavilion at Cypress Inn on the Black Warrior River.

Noted writers and alumni of the creative writing program Tom Chiarella, B.J. Hollars and Lila Quintero Weaver will be special guests at this year’s event.

Chiarella is fiction editor of Esquire magazine and a national writer-at-large on American life. Hollars is the author of the short story collection “Sightings” and editor of three collections of fiction and non-fiction. Weaver is the author of “Darkroom: A Memoir in Black and White.”

Special guest authors for the Arty Party will also participate in the Bankhead Visiting Writer’s Series on Thursday, April 4 at 7:30 p.m. at The University Club. The readings are free and open to the public.

For the last 30 years, the creative writing program has been recognized as one of the finest in the nation and its literary magazine, Black Warrior Review, is recognized as one of the top journals for prose and poetry. The program is known for producing world class writers.

The evening will also include awarding $500 scholarships to student winners of the Arty Party writing competition in the categories of non-fiction, fiction and poetry. Guests will also be able to participate in poems written on demand by creative writing students and making “character creations on camera” at the Arty Party photo booth.

The highlight of the evening will be the live and silent auctions, which feature more than 75 items donated by Alabama businesses and individuals. Silent auction items include fine pearls, houndstooth clothing for both women and men, a red 20-inch children’s bike, and season tickets to UA football coach Nick Saban’s Nick at Noon sports luncheon.

Individual tickets for the Arty Party may be purchased for $150, patron tickets for $200, table sponsorships for $1,250, and benefactor sponsorships for $2,500. Patrons, table sponsors and benefactors receive special gifts and recognition at the event.

The Arty Party is sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences’ leadership board and its fine arts committee.

Fine Arts Committee members are: Pam Askew, Bette Anne LeBlanc Bargeron, James S. Brooks, Melvin Butler, Andrea Cevasco, Naneita Leach Cobb, John R. Cranton, Jackie Brunson Crowell, Elizabeth B. Crump, Jerry D. Dillard, Jack Drake, Missy Edwards, Miller Bonner Engelhardt, Kathleen A. Farmer, H. Joseph Fritz, Milla Green, Patricia Hatcher Hall, Susan Halliday, Anne Barr Herman, P. Keith Lichtman, Stella Hillard Moore, Elizabeth Hinton Pruett, Paula F. Quarles, Ned Smith, Winifred L. Stakely, Donald Wilbur Stewart, Barbara Stone, Claire Tisdal, Rae Wade Trimmier, Jean Walker Tucker, Mary Jean Weaver, Lucy Weinstein, Hoyt Winslett, Jr., Tom Wolfe, Jeffrey Zieman,

For more information, visit the UA College of Arts and Sciences Arty Party Web site at http://as.ua.edu/artyparty/. To purchase tickets or make a donation to the fundraiser, phone 205/348-7007.