An Evening of Art and Whales

By Heather Rockwell

"All's Well That Ends Whale" - that was the name of the magical evening of art, whales and giving that I attended on September 23rd in Hyannis, Massachusetts on behalf of CSI. I was in a room with over 50 whales and 300 people. But wait _ I'm getting ahead of myself. First let me explain how I came to be in a ballroom full of whales!

It all began last spring, when the 2006 Cape and Islands Whale Trail made its debut. Fifty-eight colorfully painted and decorated whale sculptures magically appeared in towns across Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. Both visitors and residents alike spent the summer "whale watching" on land and traveling to various locations throughout the Cape and Islands to see the whales. Each whale had an artist, a sponsor and a charity that would benefit from the sale of the whale at the end of summer auction. CSI was lucky enough to be one of two charities that would benefit from the sale of a whale named "Blue Hydrangea."

Heather Rockwell with "Blue Hydrangea"

Now - back to the ballroom. The whales had all been lovingly cleaned and touched up by their individual artists, so they were looking their very best. After a few speeches and some refreshments, the bidding began. Some whales sold for hundreds of dollars, while others sold for thousands of dollars. I was delighted when the CSI "Blue Hydrangea" whale was sold for $3,500 to a local couple from Brewster, where the whale had spent the summer in front of the Brewster Bookstore. At the end of the night, over $100,000 had been raised from the sale of the whales to benefit local charities and artists. The 2006 Cape and Islands Whale Trail was such a huge success that we have heard rumors that the whales might migrate back again next year.

Another view of "Blue Hydrangea"