If you have spent your life dreaming of sitting on a masterpiece, now is your chance. In a fairytale twist involving books and artists, old chairs were kissed by paintbrushes and transformed into magical thrones.

The Rutland Free Public Library is holding a raffle for nine hand-painted chairs. All chairs were created by community members and represent the best of books and art.

“Tomeca (Murphy, executive assistant to the town administrator and select board), emailed many in town saying she had found wooden chairs upstairs in the town hall building that she needed to move along,” said Rutland Library Director Kerry Remington. “She asked if any of us were interested, and I knew right away I wanted them to be the project for our next fundraiser. I immediately put out a call asking any interested artist to come take a chair and make it their canvas.”

 Each chair tells its own story: many are whimsical, some are reflections of the childhood of the artist, and some represent a now-grown child’s bedroom.

 Elizabeth Callahan of Rutland is one of the artists. When asked what led her to participate, Callahan said, “Let me start by saying that books were one of my very first loves. I still have my very first book that I got for Christmas when I was six (years-old). I also believe strongly in supporting my local community.” 

Callahan went on to say that she had a long and winding art career, but the inspiration for this piece was clear from the beginning. 

“Art was always my outlet and became a focus especially in high school. I went on to three different art schools, including the Worcester Art Museum, but never got my degree. However, I’ve taken instruction most of my life from some truly wonderful teachers. It’s only in the past few years that I’ve started painting again,” she said. 

Callahan’s early paintings were the inspiration for her chair that will be raffled off. 

“The inspiration for my children’s characters started before my daughter was born. I did not know if she would be a boy or girl so I chose a topic for her nursery that would work either way. The colors I chose were green and yellow and I wanted to have some art for the walls. There were originally three turtles and frogs,” she explained.

She continued, “Painting on the chair was a challenge. Preparing the chair meant sanding and priming and then painting the base color. I used acrylic because I was concerned about the length of time that oil (paint) would take to dry. The actual painting was awkward and a challenge. It required moving the chair around for the best painting access. Quite different from a stationary canvas on an easel. I decided to do the children’s illustrations I had done for my daughter and grandchildren but had to alter them for the spaces. The bookworm is a constant in every illustration,” she said.

Along with Callahan, the artists are Dale Hayden, Tina Greenfield, Jill Strait, Jan Williams, Jen Niles, Amy Sheridan, Mary Calkins, and Mary Remington.

 “The end goal of the raffle,” Remington said, “is to help bridge the gap from our budget shortfall. I am hoping to bring in $1,000 to cover the cost of programming, new books and children’s entertainment.”

Remington encourages all to visit the library for their weekly book sale and fill a bag for $5. 

“This would also be a great time to hop upstairs and check out the amazing creations,” she said. 

Raffle tickets are $1 each and are cash only. They can be purchased at the library counter during business hours or when you run into Remington.

“Heck, if you see me on the street, and want to hand me money for a raffle ticket, I will happily take your cash,” Remington joked. 

You can find all nine chairs on display at the Rutland Free Public Library located at 280 Main St. For more information about the library or to contact them, please visit https://www.rutlandlibrary.org/ or call 508-886-4108.