The Seabiscuit Legacy Art Exhibition and Auction, to benefit the Seabiscuit Heritage Foundation and the Howard Community Healthcare Foundation, will take place at historic Ridgewood Ranch near Willits, Calif., on May 22.
The event, from from 5 p.m. to 9:30 pm., celebrates Seabiscuit's birthday, which is on May 23, 1933, and also commemorates the Howard Memorial Hospital admitting its first patient on May 20, 1928. Charles S. Howard, Seabiscuit's owner, was the founding donor of the hospital.
Many of Ridgewood’s historic buildings built by Howard have been rehabilitated but many others remain in urgent need of repair. The 5,000-acre ranch has been named one of 11 most threatened historical sites by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the nation.
The Seabiscuit Heritage Foundation promotes the cultural legacy of Ridgewood Ranch, the home and final resting place of the legendary Seabiscuit, through historic preservation and environmental conservation. In addition, the Howard Foundation is raising funds for a Health and Wellness Center on the new Frank R. Howard Foundation Medical Campus.
The art exhibit and benefit auction will feature art depicting the legacy of the Great American horse racing icon in a variety of styles and media. Community artists have been invited to participate and their work will be featured at a silent and live auction. Howard’s great grandson, Col. Michael Howard (ret.) U.S.M.C., will serve as the auctioneer for the evening. Proceeds from the event will go to support the two charitable organizations that are striving to protect and preserve Seabiscuit’s and Charles Howard’s legacy.
Guests will be able to enjoy the art show and silent auction during an opening reception featuring non-alcoholic beverages and appetizers while being entertained with live music. Local community actors have agreed to participate as volunteer servers while dressed as Hollywood luminaries, Charles Howard's contemporaries, during the event. Carol Lombard, Shirley Temple, John Wayne, Bing Crosby, Clark Gable and Black Bart, who will be doing a poetry reading, are all scheduled to appear. Following the reception will be dinner and live auction.
In addition, an inspirational children's book titled, Josephine - A Tale of Hope and Happy Endings, is scheduled to debut at the event. Co-authors Bunny McCleod and Roni McFadden will be conducting an author’s book signing. All proceeds are donated to charity. The story book, featuring a Seabiscuit heir, is endorsed by noted author Laura Hillenbrand.
Artwork, will include, but is not limited to, an equestrian theme. Works will include the paintings of the oak woodlands, old-growth Redwood groves, and the landscapes that constitute Seabiscuit’s legacy. Seabiscuit’s stud barn, Howard Memorial Hospital, and other historic structures in the community will be featured.
Seating for the event is limited. All inclusive tickets are $75 and can be purchased online at www.HowardFoundation.org or by calling (707) 459-2777.
