Monthly Archives: March 2017

Helen Radcliffe

Local artist Helen Radcliffe, shown here in her Kentucky Derby apparel, dedicated many hours planning and finding the best views of the rifle range, and finally selected the photograph to produce this beautiful watercolor painting of the rifle pit.

The original painting is displayed on the wall in the Caswell Dunes Clubhouse.

The image was used to create mouse pads, magnets, note cards, and prints which have been sold to raise funds for the stabilization project. Helen received no compensation for her efforts.

In addition, Helen has spent many hours pursuing donations from local businesses for items and services to offer in the silent auction at the Kentucky Derby Day fundraiser. She also manages the silent auction event. For two years, she offered a silent auction item – to the winning bidder, an original painting of their home.

A former art teacher at The Children’s Home in Winston-Salem and Curator of Education at Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Helen now shares her talent with the community. Her artwork featuring the Oak Island Lighthouse is currently displayed in Caswell Beach Town Hall.

Thank you, Helen, for the gift of this everlasting image to our community!

Marti Hardy

Local artist and Caswell Beach Commissioner Marti Hardy created and donated a total of four striking stained glass and mosaic art pieces for past Kentucky Derby fundraisers.

The first two are pictured below.

Marti is holding Beach Parade, a table display of swimming fish mounted on driftwood that Marti discovered on Caswell Beach, while Joan Van Noordt is holding Bunker Serenity, an abstract piece depicting the rifle range and surrounding landscape.

The remaining two, created and donated the following year, include At Peace with Nature, a stained glass design showing part of the rifle range wall surrounded by trees with a squirrel resting on the wall, and a red-headed woodpecker on the side of a tree. The scene is drastically different from what the area might have looked like almost 100 years ago, surrounded by the military engaged in marksmanship, noise everywhere. Marti chose a serene setting for her work, keeping the focus on history, showing the peacefulness of the area by including animals in their habitat.

Her focus for the mosaic is The Yellow Belly Fish of Caswell Beach. It has a yellow belly and is surrounded by seaweed as it floats through the water. The fish has an orange tail with neutral colored fins and gills.

The Friends of Fort Caswell Rifle Range earned $600 through Marti’s stained glass pieces.

Thank you, Marti, for these gorgeous treasures!

To read more details on the stained glass piece and auction, see newspaper articles:
https://caswellriflerange.com/news/art-supports-rifle-range/
https://caswellriflerange.com/news/rifle-range-work-detailed/

Mark Bachara

Attorney Mark Bachara completed pro bono legal work enabling the Friends of Fort Caswell Rifle Range to move forward with non-profit status. This is just one of many community-centered causes Mark supports through his involvement with the very active Southport Rotary to serving on non-profit boards. He has even been spotted belting out showtunes at various local venues.

Mark practices law with the firm Bachara & Essey, Attorneys at Law, on Oak Island. Read more about Mark Bachara at http://bacharaessey.com/about/mark-bachara

Thank you, Mark, for donating your legal expertise to our cause!