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The gala fundraiser to support and encourage the local arts scene was an incredible success as hundreds of patrons enjoyed a magical evening at the Chapelle Sainte Agnes near Sutton. There was a dream-like atmosphere as a bright full moon bathed the sensuous lines of the Romanesque style buildings in a blue white glow. Nestled on a hillside close to the Vermont Border south of Sutton, the venue was generously donated by Henrietta and John Antony who graciously allowed the friends of Arts Sutton to enjoy the palacial ambiance of their truly exquisite domain. Stone lined terrasses full of vines, statues lit from above by the moon, and the crisp smell of Autumn in the air were just perfect as the night became a veritable feast for the senses.
The evening, named the "Casino for the Arts", included a silent auction, door prizes, a full tour of the vineyard, plus a full casino. The underground stone buildings was an incredible venue for the event! There was lovely presentations of snack and food and upon opening the huge massive wooden antique doors we were welcomed with wines, foods and smiles! The organizers of the event should be commended for the excellent evening!The rounded stone ceilings and chandeliers of the subterranean space were wonderful, and candles glistened in corridors throughout the evening making it an almost surreal occasion; transporting us back centuries ago when knights in armor and princesses ruled the day. As people entered the massive rounded doors it was as if they were stepping into an authentic European castle.
The evening was a who's-who of the finest of the Eastern Townships friends and supporters of the arts and the formal affair was indeed well attended. Many local artists and businesses donated objects for the silent auction and there was much money raised in support of the local arts scene especially due to the hard work of all the organizing team and those who donated funds to make it happen.
The event included a silent auction and a casino featuring clean-cut croupiers who dealt blackjack and spun the roulette wheel as guests enjoyed wonderful wines and delicious canapes served by extremely cordial service staff. Every guest was given 100 dollars in play money to be exchanged for chips at the casino tables.
The $100 of "lucky bucks" was to exchanged for 10 casino chips but the croupiers inadvertently exchanged the 100 "lucky bucks" for 100 chips! This wasn't noticed until the casino started to notice a shortage of chips as it was suddenly realized that everyone's chips were worth 10 times their intended value! There was some quick decisions to be made and it was decided that all tables would have to stop gaming and everyone would have to exchange their chips and then start over with the new rate of exchange. We all felt a bit as if we had been holding Nortel stock as our chips tumbled in value. Needless to say, the red wine helped everyone's understanding of the situation and the evening progressed with a renewed vigor after a brief delay allowed us to refresh our glasses.With the quantity and quality of the people who attended the event it will surely raise a fair amount of funds to help the arts in the Sutton area. All the volunteers and organizers did an absolutely impeccable job at creating one of this year's more memorable events. Hopefully this will become a yearly event if only for the chance to visit the glorious Chapelle Ste. Agnes.
The Chapelle Ste. Agnes was built in 1993 by Henrietta Antony but the buildings looks like they could have been built hundreds of years ago the attention to detail is outstanding. Originally an antiques dealer from what is now the Czech republic, her desire was to build and create a timeless structure of incredible beauty that would lift the spirits and bring peace to all those who passed. The Chapel was built of solid stone by master stone artists in a Romanesque style. It is home to many of Mrs. AntonyÃ?s ecclesiastic artifacts, collected over a 45 year period. The Chapel was dedicated to Ste. Agnes, a thirteenth century Bohemian saint by Mrs. Antony.More about this incredible site and generous family can be found on their website www.vindeglace.com
posted by DestinationKnowlton.com on Sunday, October 08, 2006 
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