Coye Auction Raises $10,425 for Mural Purchase

RFH 2010, Arts

Sat, Jan 09, 2010

A wooden sculpture of the woman who was a model and muse for the late artist Lee Brown Coye was the top selling item at an auction of his works held last week to raise money to save a mural he painted depicting the early years of his adopted home town.

The sculpture of Freida Crowley was purchased for $2,075 by the Hamilton Historical Society. Part of the purchase price was contributed by Jack Loope and his family.

The sculpture was the last of 23 works auctioned Thursday to raise money to purchase the Coye mural that hangs in the village post office. It brought the total for the sale to $10,425, and helped boost the fund for the purchase to its goal of $36,000.

The auction was held at the Colgate Inn.

The money was raised to purchase the mural from Jay Metz, who earlier this year said he was going to remove the mural and possibly sell it. He came into possession of mural when he purchased the building that formerly was home to Hickey's Tavern, where the mural was hung.

The group, Friends of the Mural, was formed to raise the money.

Bob Coye, the artist's son, donated the works, which included drawings, sculptures and a limited-edition book Beautiful Scylla the elder Coye illustrated and was printed in Hamilton by The Republican Press in 1939.

Also sold were two different self-portraits, an original drawing of a house that was used to illustrate an anthology horror tales and a number of other prints and originals.

Hamilton Theater Manager Chuck Fox was auctioneer for the night.