18th Annual Jon Crane Benefit Auction

The 18th annual Jon Crane Benefit Auction, held on September 21, was a tremendous success! This year’s benefit is estimated to have raised $230,000, with all the proceeds going to the new Rapid City campus.

The evening included a dinner, a video presentation and a silent and live auction. Guests bid on experiences like a hot air balloon flight, gift baskets, quilts, vases and paintings, including six paintings from the group, Dick’s Chicks.

Six artists donated all of their proceeds to CHS and the winners of those paintings chose a key from a basket. At the end of the auction, the person who could unlock a padlock won a framed Jon Crane print, “Daybreak.”

Who Are Dick’s Chicks?

Dick’s Chicks began in 2007, when a group of five women attended a workshop Richard taught in Custer. He agreed to continue with the classes for a short time. That “short time” turned into regular art sessions until Richard’s death in 2014.

Over the years, the group grew to 12 women. The ladies treasure wonderful memories of the 1,200 fun and engaging hours learning from Richard. The group dubbed themselves Dick’s Chicks out of reverence for him. After Richard’s passing, the Chicks have continued helping each other in their artistic journeys and are determined to carry out Richard’s mission to create, teach and inspire art.

Richard was a mentor, an advocate and a friend to these women, but he was also a good friend to the children at Black Hills Children’s Home. He never missed an opportunity to host the children in his studio, help them explore their talents, and treat them to art kits and pizza. Richard’s memory will live on in his art and in the hearts of all who knew him.

This year, six of the 21 live auction artists were members of Dick’s Chicks. Guests could also bid on a watercolor session with several of the artists.

Jon Crane, Who Is He?

Fresh out of the Air Force in 1976, Jon Crane made a decision to leave flying a plane behind and pick up a paintbrush. He set out to find and paint beautiful places like abandoned barns, country churches and dilapidated mines.

Hundreds of paintings later, many of those beautiful places have changed or disappeared. Thankfully, with the help of his detailed watercolors, we can see how rural American landscapes have changed throughout time.

Throughout the years, Jon and his wife, Gail, had a vision of supporting local charities. For many years they would host painting demonstrations in Jon’s Hill City Gallery. At the end of each demonstration, they would auction off the newly created painting and donate the proceeds to a charity of their choice. In 2007, Jon and Gail chose Children’s Home Society as the recipient. Jon’s desire is to support Children’s Home Society programs in whatever capacity is needed, including art and restoring hope to children’s lives.