OCTC Art Auction
Friday, April 17, 2026, OCTC Downtown Campus
Owensboro, KY (03/30/2026) — Owensboro Community & Technical College (OCTC) will host its 2026 Art Auction on Friday, April 17 at the OCTC Downtown Campus (1501 Frederica St.). The event is free to attend, and guests are encouraged to reserve a seat: https://forms.office.com/r/kV0SGTu6ip
This event is presented by the Fraternal Order of the Eagles - Auxiliary and supported by HER Owensboro and Kizer Construction.
Guests will enjoy hors d'oeuvres, wine, and a social hour from 5:00-6:00 p.m. with live Irish-inspired music by Scott Napier, Alex Abend, and Mackenzie Bell. The evening includes welcome remarks at 6:00 p.m. and a live auction from 6:15-8:00 p.m. hosted by Mick Ford, featuring approximately 36 original artworks. A silent auction of around 20 art prints will run throughout the event, with checkout at 8:15 p.m.
Proceeds will fund student scholarships for the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 academic years. The 2025 auction marked the first time OCTC awarded art scholarships, providing four $550 scholarships through the Dewitt Scholarship for Artistic Achievement, named after Jamie Dewitt.
"My goal for OCTC's Art Program is to provide financially accessible education that teaches strong foundational practical and professional skills," said Abbi Ruppert, OCTC Art Program Coordinator. "This year's art auction is an opportunity for the community to come together again to support our visual art students and take home one-of-a-kind artwork while helping fund scholarships for the next two years."
One scholarship recipient shared: "Your encouragement inspires me to continue working hard and striving toward my academic and career goals. Knowing that others believe in my potential motivates me to do my very best and to take full advantage of the opportunities ahead. I truly appreciate the investment you are making in my future, and I am committed to honoring it through my continued dedication and success."
OCTC will host the art auction every two years, with the next event scheduled for 2028. In 2029, the college will begin accepting original artwork donations for the 2030 Art Auction.
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Owensboro Community & Technical College is one of the sixteen community and technical colleges that make up the Kentucky Community & Technical College System. OCTC serves the KY counties of Daviess, Hancock, Ohio and McLean. OCTC has three campuses in Daviess County and a Center and Annex in Hancock County. OCTC strives to serve the communities in the service area by providing associate degree education for transfer, state of the art technical education for students focusing on entering the workforce, customized business and industry solutions through the Workforce Solutions division, and adult education and business and industry testing through the SkillTrain unit.
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The Kentucky Community and Technical College System is the Commonwealth's largest postsecondary institution with 16 colleges and more than 70 campuses. We also are Kentucky's largest provider of workforce training and online education. Through partnerships with business and industry, we align our programs to meet the needs of local employers. We help students fulfill their dreams of creating a better life through programs that lead directly to jobs or help them transfer to one of our four-year partners.
Connect with OCTC: Owensboro.kctcs | Facebook.com/owensboroctc | Twitter@OCTC_Tweets | Instagram OwensboroCTC
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