BEVERLY — Meg Rauen is confident her great aunt would have loved the Vintage Hat Auction and Cocktail Party happening from 7-10 p.m. Thursday at Tranquility Hair Salon in Beverly.
Mae VanScoyoc was a lifelong South Sider and the owner of many over-the-top hats and fur stoles. She died a couple of years ago and passed along her collection on to Rauen.
"I have been wondering what to do with this stuff for a couple of years," said Rauen, a resident of suburban Lisle who was raised in Beverly.
Rauen would sometimes bring out the hats to celebrate the Kentucky Derby. But she eventually settled on donating the 30 or so hats from the 1930s-70s to the fundraiser.
The proceeds from the hat auction at 9909 S. Walden Parkway will support the Beverly Area Arts Alliance. The group is working to organize its second Beverly Art Walk on Oct. 3.
Megan Barba owns Tranquility Salon and leaped at the opportunity to host the fundraiser, though her business typically showcases hairstyles over hats.
"We see what [The Alliance] is doing, and they are just creating this unity in our community," said Barba, a Beverly resident.
Several planners of the art walk actually met through the Southwest Side salon. The result has been an artists movement in the 19th Ward that culminates in the annual art walk.
The one-day event transforms vacant storefronts, mom-and-pop businesses, home studios and other non-traditional venues into makeshift art galleries.
Barba also offered up her salon as a host site for the art walk, lending the walls of her business to local artists looking for space to display their works.
The Vintage Hat Auction and Cocktail party is free to attend. The evening will also include live music by Colin O’Malley. For more information, visit the alliance's website.
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