Artists will be painting a dozen violins that will be sold to raise money for the Portland Symphony.

Artists will paint 12 violins that will be sold to raise money for the Portland Symphony.

PORTLAND – Art and music combine in the Portland Symphony Orchestra’s newest fundraising event, Variations on a Violin. Some of Maine’s top artists are designing unique works of art using a violin as their canvas.

In March, the group of violins will be displayed in the greater Portland area in a variety of traditional and nontraditional settings.

During the tour, the public will be able to see the violins and purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win one of them. The opening event will be Friday, March 5.

The 11 featured artists are Thomas Connolly, Thomas Crotty, William Fothergill, Suzanne Harden, Connie Hayes, Anne Kilham, Nathaniel Larrabee, Thomas Paquette, Scott Potter, Gail Spaien and Persis Weirs. A 12th selected artist from Maine College of Art and will be announced later.

All proceeds will benefit the Portland Symphony Orchestra, including its education and community outreach programs.

Raffle tickets for the Variations on a Violin project will be sold on the orchestra’s Web site, www.portlandsymphony.com, beginning Monday, Feb. 23.

After the opening event, tickets may be purchased at most event venues and through the orchestra’s administrative offices at (207) 773-6128.