RANGELEY — Local student artists are flexing their creative muscles to benefit their community.

Three Rangeley Lakes Regional School students, Teryn Austin and Doug Haley,  members of the Class of 2009, and senior Britt Taylor are putting their personal artistic mark on Adirondack chairs to raise funds for the Rangeley Region Health and Wellness Partnership and the art department at Rangeley Lakes Regional School.

“I’m using a lot of pattern,” said Haley, while working on the chair on a sunny day in the driveway of school art teacher Sonja Johnson. “It (the chair) will be outdoorsy, nature-filled and colorful. We were going to do yin and yang chairs, but that’s completely out.”

“I just do whatever comes to mind. My chair will have a lot of color and be eye-catching,” said Austin.

This is the first year students have created chairs for the annual wellness partnership auction held this year on Monday, Aug. 10. It will also feature larger chairs bearing the work of local artists. The two child-sized chairs painted in acrylic by Haley and Austin will be auctioned off to benefit the partnership.

In creating the design on her chair, Taylor drew on a past creative effort for her inspiration.

“I’m just painting it. It’s going to be a big sunflower. The idea came from a picture I took while working with Sonja (Johnson) at the Common Ground Fair last year,” said Taylor. Proceeds from Taylor’s chair will benefit the school art department.

“Depending on the students, we hope to do this year after year. This will open the school and the auction to a whole new level of community involvement, ” said Johnson, who was contacted by partnership Executive Director Krista Perry to get the students involved.

For more information about the Adirondack chair auction, contact the Rangeley Region Rehab and Wellness Pavilion at 864-2900.