The Anglican Cathedral is asking the public to ‘Raise the Roof' - but no, it is not inciting a holy war!

Rather, it wants the community to support an exciting ‘Celebration of Art' when a varied body of work created from sheets of old, weathered copper are auctioned off later this month.

The event, appropriately entitled, ‘Raise the Roof: A Celebration of Art', will be a fund-raiser to offset the enormous cost of replacing the Church Street landmark's copper roof. Although the project is now completed, the financial burden remains.

In an inspired example of recycling, the Cathedral authorities devised a plan which combined creative use of the removed copper sheeting with actively involving the community in financially supporting the new roof, and preserving a Bermuda landmark.

They gave the old copper to Bermuda artists and talented community members, who then spent the summer enthusiastically reworking it into everything from large sculptures and collages to functional pieces for the home or garden. The results of their creativity now form the basis of a charitable auction, aptly entitled, ‘Raise the Roof: a Celebration in Art', at least half of whose proceeds will go to the Cathedral's ‘Raise the Roof' Fund, with participating artists sharing the rest.

Bacardi International Limited will host the event at its Pitts Bay Road headquarters, and there will be a preview on October 24th from noon to 5.30 p.m., followed by a reception and auction on the 25th, beginning at 6 p.m. All are invited to participate in this slice of Bermuda history.

The auction promises something for everyone - from the art connoisseur to the citizen who would simply cherish having a piece of history in his or her home or garden. Early bird Christmas shoppers will also find much to choose from. Items range from copper clad bird houses to garden sculptures, mirrors, plates, and lanterns, and sculptures by such talented artists as Graham Foster and Vivienne Gardner.

Mr. Foster is creating a hand-tooled sculpture, which he estimates will take more than 100 hours to complete, and will exploit the beautiful finish of weathered copper by essentially creating a patchwork of blue-green and glowing orange pieces.

Mrs. Gardener, a well-established stained glass artist, has created a rearing horse from the copper sheeting, which organisers promise, will be “truly stunning”.

Artists are asked to drop off their pieces at Bacardi International Limited on October 23 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

The Anglican Cathedral has played a major part in the history of Bermuda for many generations. In 1894, when the current building was under construction, it was given the status of Cathedral - enabling Hamilton to become a city. Whether as a site for worship or as a national monument, the Anglican Cathedral remains an integral part of the community. The new copper roof is projected to preserve this historical building for another 60 to 80 years.