Southern Indiana Center for the Arts is bringing back a popular fundraiser from years ago.
An Artful Affair — Saints and Angels is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday at The Pines Evergreen Room on U.S. 31 south of Seymour.
The first An Artful Affair was in 1994, and the last one was conducted in 2014, but organizers recently decided to return it.
The event, a fundraiser for the center, will take place on the final day of the Mexican holiday the Day of the Dead, which involves family and friends gathering to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died and helping support their spiritual journey.
The holiday will be the theme of the event, Executive Director Sean Hildreth said.
"We are ready for a night of culture, food and art," he said.
The cost is $50 per person or $350 for a table and includes a meal, a dancing performance and silent and live auctions. The meal will be traditional Mexican dishes, Hildreth said. He said The Pines staff members have spoken with local authentic Mexican restaurants to form a menu.
Tickets can be purchased at SICA or through Eventbrite, an online website that has a processing fee. There will be no physical tickets, but organizers will have a list of those who have paid.
Raíces Folklore will perform several dances. The large group, which dresses in traditional clothing, has become known throughout the community for its authentic dances.
"We have a wonderful authentic dance group here in town, and we’re really excited to see them," Hildreth said. "They’ve performed at Dancing with the Seymour Stars and Seymour Oktoberfest. Their awareness has grown, and we love their dress and the art of their dancing."
There also will be a diamond dig activity for those who attend. Hildreth said that will be a pit filled with pea gravel that includes gems that represent a certain prize. Participants will pay to take a scoop of gravel to see if they win a prize.
"You may get nothing in your scoop or you may get two gems," he said, adding there will be a grand prize for that activity.
Other prizes or items that can be purchased are an autographed guitar by John Mellencamp donated by This Old Guitar Music Store, other Mellencamp memorabilia, pottery, bowls made at SICA and Indianapolis Colts and Indiana Pacers items.
The live auction will be for art pieces at $500 or more.
"You can buy art from local artisans," Hildreth said. "It could be a piece of pottery that someone made right here that you could use or a piece of art painted by someone from here that you can hang in your home or office. It’s great to celebrate our artists in our area."
Hildreth said the center is looking forward to offering an event that will help bring various forms of art and the community together.
"I think our community needs a cultural event," he said. "We have a lot of events that support the nonprofits in the community, but we want to bring it all together and celebrate all art forms."
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What: Southern Indiana Center for the Arts’ An Artful Affair — Saints and Angels
When: 6 p.m. Saturday
Where: The Pines Evergreen Room on U.S. 31 south of Seymour
Cost: $50 per person or $350 for a table
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