LITTLE ROCK — More than 200 people gathered April 9 in the Campus Center Grand Hall of North Little Rock's Pulaski Technical College for Business of Art, the third annual event benefiting the Pulaski Technical College Foundation.
The evening, which raised more than $25,000 in scholarship money for students in the business and fine art departments, honored John Deering, award-winning Democrat-Gazette political cartoonist and sculptor.
Guests bid on more than 80 silent-auction items; perused an art exposition featuring painter Pat Matthews, watercolorist Bob Snider and sculptor Michael Warrick; and dined on appetizers made by students in the college culinary school - chicken Sicilian strips, fruit, Mexican corn bread, spinach risotto cakes and a dessert cake in the shape of a newspaper in honor of Deering's career. MarQuis D. Hunt provided musical entertainment.
Jancey Sheats of KARK-TV served asmaster of ceremonies. Angele Forrest, event chairman, welcomed the audience and, 2008 scholarship recipients Toby Daughtery and Jessica Brewer told of how the awards changed their lives.
Deering delighted the audience by drawing a caricature of Pulaski Technical College President Dan Bakke before narrating a slide show of sculptures that included the Arkansas Medal of Honor Memorial, the Arkansas Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Little Rock Nine. Joyce Taylor, executive director of the foundation, presented Deering with a plaque.
Other Business of Art attendees included Deering's wife, Kathy and son Will, along with Jamie Higgins, Tracy Courage, Renata Byler and nephew Hunter Jenkins, Melody Stanley, Anita and Augusta Farver, Mary Ann Shope, Annamary and Greg Thompson, Melissa Hendricks, Nicole Green, Teri Todd, Janet and Dr. Glenn Davis and Karen and Phil Martin.
The Pulaski Technical College Foundation is the official fundraising and private gift-receiving agency for the college.
High Profile, Pages 42 on 04/19/2009