Local artist donates to Interfaith
BY BETTY ARCHER ALLEN Gulf Breeze News betty@gulfbreezenews.com

Betty Archer Allen/Gulf Breeze News Ruth Ross, right, is donating her painting "The Mobile Lighthouse 1885" to the Interfaith Ministries Live auction organized by Shirley Cornett, left.

Ruth Ross is donating her watercolor and quache painting, "The Mobile Light House 1885," for the Interfaith Ministries live auction that will be held on Saturday, Oct. 6 at the First Baptist Church in Gulf Breeze beginning 10 am. Ruth is an internationally known painter. Her paintings are in private collections and distinguished homes throughout the nation. One of her paintings, entitled "Youth Testing Surf" was purchased for the former home of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

Her work has also been seen in Veranda Magazine.

Ruth's loved her era of painting lighthouses because of the changing beauty and excitement of a storm, that shining beacon of hope exuded by the light and fascinating stories of the lighthouse keepers. Mobile Lighthouse 1885 meets all that criteria. The Mobile Light is a hexagonshaped cottage with a lantern perched atop its roof. The structure rests on iron pilings screwed into the muddy floor in the middle of the bay. The construction site was exposed to extremely bad weather. While still under construction, the lighthouse sank 7 feet into the sticky mud at the bottom of the bay, but since the settling was evenly distributed, the structure remained sound. The light was placed in service on Dec. 1, 1885. It displayed white light and red flashes every thirty seconds. The original cottage lighthouse has stood now for more than a century, a lone sentinel at the heart of Mobile Bay. Although its lamp has been extinguished for many years, ships continue to use the Mobile Bay Lighthouse as a day-mark.

The Coast Guard intended to demolish the structure in 1967, but spirited public opposition prevented its removal. Now someone has the chance to own this beautiful work of art.

Interfaith will be auctioning off items that have been donated to the thrift shop plus items donated by individuals especially for this event. All proceeds from the auction will go toward the mortgage on the thrift shop building. Additionally, the lease on the medical clinic building is up in August 2009 and they are trying to get Interfaith in a position to possibly purchase the clinic building. For more information, contact Shirley Cornett, Executive Director Interfaith Ministries, at 850-934-6844.