The Toaster Project
This captivating toaster with wings, creatively titled “Lenore Evermore” and crafted by Gina Freschet, was one of the many toasters up for auction.
As people enter the doors of The Toaster Project, they quickly notice winged toasters strung up from the ceiling, toasters with wheels, toasters with hands and many more reinvented versions of the same red toaster. The thrilling toaster-themed art charity event, The Toaster Project, was held at the Boulder Commons in central Boulder on Feb. 6. With the very fitting slogan of “Where Art & Love Collide,” this project was developed by the There With Care organization that has the mission of helping families with children in critical medical crisis make day-to-day chores less of a burden. For families, being able to focus on their kids is a blessing that There With Care can provide, and this event raised quite a bit of funding for them.
Toasters lined up ready to be sent off to the homes of the bidders.
Just up the street from the Boulder Depot, The Toaster Project was tucked away in the Boulder Commons property, booming with art investors, There With Care supporters and Daily Camera reporters. On hand-made art stands stood many unique and different toasters from the featured artists: Berger & Föhr, Gina Frachette & Steve Ciewlawski, Gail Folwell, Susan Knickle & Roland Hower, Marina Warren Nash, Josh Pass, Bill Snider, Robert Striffolino, Nancy Utterback and Jerry Wingren. As everyone walked among the rows of toasters, the The Night Shift provided ambient jazzy tunes. The Night Shift is a local band made up of several Boulder High seniors including: Josh Pesmen, Sam MacCarthy, Zach Dhaliwahl and the graduated Zander Christoff.
From left to right: Josh Pesmen, Zach Dahliwahl, Zander Christoff and Sam MacCarthy playing in their band, The Night Shift, at The Toaster Project.
There With Care set up this event to help out local artists and to raise money to enable volunteers to make life easier for so many families. They help out by providing numerous services including transportation, meals, baby essentials, home maintenance, professional assistance, sibling support and phone/tech programs. All of these programs help life run a little smoother for people in need. When you’re a parent trying to keep up with medical bills, juggling daily life needs and working is not the easiest task. There With Care’s unique programs and inventive fundraising tactics make life easier for families in need.
The toaster bidding in action.
Every toaster displayed at the event was sold at price points ranging from $800 to nearly $4,000 to benefit families in the future. There With Care is a wonderful program for putting this event together and supporting local artists as well as those in need. If you’re interested in There With Care and their charitable activities, visit their website and consider donating!