How a Collaborative Art Experience Turned Guests Into Participants
Long before Pinehurst became the subject of my paintings, it was the setting of my story.
I was born there, began studying art at Sandhills Community College and worked my way through school as a grocery-store bag boy and waiter at the elegant Carolina Hotel. I never imagined that my career would one day bring me back to celebrate the places and people that helped shape my life.
Recently, that journey came full circle.
More than 125 guests gathered at the beautiful Country Club of North Carolina for an evening benefiting the Given Tufts Foundation. There was lively conversation, a silent auction and a wonderful dinner—but the most memorable part of the evening may have been the moment the guests became part of the program.
As I painted live, attendees were invited to add their own brushstrokes to a collaborative work titled Welcome to Pinehurst. Some stepped forward confidently. Others needed a little encouragement. Before long, even our auctioneer, Matt, had picked up a brush.
The finished painting became more than an interpretation of Pinehurst. It became a portrait of participation—and a reminder of what can happen when people are invited to help create an experience rather than simply observe it.
Guests add their own brushstrokes to Welcome to Pinehurst
Every contribution matters No single brushstroke completed Welcome to Pinehurst. Some marks were bold, while others were small and subtle, but each became part of the finished work.
Associations and organizations are built the same way. Every member, volunteer, board member and staff professional contributes something different. When those contributions come together around a shared purpose, the result becomes far greater than anything one person could create alone.
Participation creates connection
When the collaborative painting opened the live auction, the room immediately came alive. Guests were not bidding on something they had merely watched me create. They were bidding on something they had helped bring to life.
That enthusiasm continued when The Heart of Pinehurst was unveiled. Collectors familiar with my artistic journey raised their hands again and again until a five-figure bid secured the painting of the historic Village.
People remember information, but they form stronger connections through experiences. When attendees are invited to participate, they become emotionally invested in the moment—and in one another.
The Heart of Pinehurst becomes part of a memorable evening
Purpose makes an event memorable
The final painting offered that evening was The Given Memorial Library. Once again, hands rose throughout the room until one couple’s bid prevailed.
Then came the evening’s most touching surprise.
The couple announced that they were giving the painting back to the Foundation as a gift for the new library. A work inspired by a treasured community landmark had raised money to support its future—and was then returned so generations of visitors could enjoy it.
That moment captured what meeting planners and association leaders work so hard to create: an experience that moves beyond a program and
connects people with a larger purpose.
A successful event informs its audience. A memorable event involves them. But the most meaningful events inspire people to see the difference their contribution can make.
We may not all consider ourselves artists, but each of us holds a brush. When people are given an opportunity to add their own stroke, they don’t simply attend the event—they become part of its story.
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