Art-A-Whirl^® Raffle: "Northeast Gale" by Michael and Kelly Helsinger

“Northeast Gale”

Reminiscent of Art-A-Whirl’s iconic tornado, two sculptures – “Mississippi Tempest” and “Northeast Gale” – both commemorating the festival’s 30th year, will debut and be on display during Art-A-Whirl.

The sculptures are a collaborative creation between Michael and Kelly Helsigner. Michael, a woodworker, guitar builder, and drum maker with more than 15 years of woodworking experience, recently delved into sculpture, creating unique light fixtures made from wood veneer. Kelly, a 2D artist focused on abstract expressionism, defines her work as a delicate balance of chaos and control, brought to life through vibrant colors, dynamic movement, and organic flowing lines.

“Mississippi Tempest” is Art-A-Whirl’s signature sculpture and will be on display during the festival at The Holland Arts East Gallery, adjacent to Yellowbird Coffee Bar, along with additional works by Kelly Helsigner. The sculpture is 6’ x 3’ x 3’ created from ebonized Red Oak, acrylic, shellac, wax, and lighting. “Our intention when creating the ‘Mississippi Tempest’ sculpture was to harmoniously combine our skill sets while executing our conceptual interpretation of the iconic Art-A-Whirl logo,” explained the artists. Following Art-A-Whirl, “Mississippi Tempest” will be available for display and purchase by contacting the artists.

“Northeast Gale” is a smaller sculpture perfect for a home or office, and created for the festival’s raffle. At 29” x 29” x 14” it doubles as a light fixture and is designed from Maple, dye, urethane, wax, and lighting. During Art-A-Whirl it will be on display in Quincy Hall at the NEMAA booth. For the chance to win the sculpture, art lovers can purchase $2 raffle tickets on this page or in person at the NEMAA booth at Quincy Hall. The winner will be notified in June.