Eureka Springs School of the Arts transformed the historic 1886 Crescent Hotel into an underwater kingdom for its 24th Annual Mad Hatter Ball on Friday, Oct. 16. This year's theme, "Secrets of the Sunken Kingdom," inspired an impressive assortment of elaborate hats, imaginative costumes and colorful characters for a sold-out evening of dinner, dancing, and fundraising.
One of the evening's biggest successes was ESSA's annual art auction, featuring more than 120 items donated by artists, businesses and supporters. The collection included original paintings, jewelry, ceramics, glasswork, woodworking, metalwork and more. With bidding available online, art enthusiasts could participate from anywhere, even without attending the Ball. Thanks to the generosity of contributing artists, donors, and bidders, this year's auction was an exceptional success, raising important funds for ESSA's educational programs and community outreach.
The highly anticipated Hat Contest brought plenty of personality to the festivities. Guests paraded their creations before competing for awards recognizing originality, craftsmanship, and interpretations of the underwater theme. From elaborate sea creatures to imaginative inhabitants of the deep, this year's entries gave the judges and audience plenty to admire.
Valerie Damon served as the evening's Spirit Ambassador, celebrating the creativity and enthusiasm of this year's participants.
The evening also held a special surprise when Christopher Hamilton proposed to Ashley Seagraves during the festivities. The unexpected engagement gave guests another reason to cheer and made this year's Ball particularly memorable for the happy couple.
DJ Testube kept the music going throughout the night, with guests filling the dance floor between the Hat Contest, auction activities, and other festivities.
As ESSA's largest annual fundraiser, the Mad Hatter Ball plays an important role in supporting the school's teaching studios, artist residencies, and educational programs, including free and low-cost opportunities for young artists, veterans, and members of the community.
“The Mad Hatter Ball is one of my favorite nights of the year, and I'm always amazed by the creativity and generosity of this community. I'm so grateful to our sponsors, donors, artists, auction bidders, guests and especially our Board of Directors and staff team, who work so hard to make it all happen. It's a whole lot of fun, and even better knowing that it all supports bringing more art into people's lives!” said Kelly McDonough, ESSA executive director.
“ESSA is grateful to everyone who contributed to this year's Ball,” the school said in a news release. “The continued support of the community makes events like this possible and helps bring arts education to more people throughout the region.”
For more information about ESSA and its programs, visit essa-art.org.
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