The butterflies weren’t free at the Rye Arts Center Rye’sAbove auction, and a good thing too, because the event raised $23,500 for the center’s educational initiatives and scholarship programs.
Around 125 people, including Mayor Josh Cohn, New York State Rep. Steve Otis, and state Sen. Shelley Mayer were on hand at the Wainright House. Seventy-five bidders contested to buy 38 of the colorful butterfly sculptures that have been on display in various public places around Rye for the last four months.
The 2024 edition of the Rye’sAbove program welcomed the youngest participating artists yet, and both of their artworks sold: eight-year-old Christopher Hofman’s petite-sized butterfly called “Year of the Dragon” and 15-year-old Thomas Chen’s medium-sized butterfly, “Golden Serenity.”
