The Lodge at Torrey Pines will hold its fifth annual “Celebrate the Craft” fund-raiser, featuring local chefs and wineries showcasing their fare. Proceeds from the event will go to the newly formed Torrey Pines Endowment Fund.
This year, along with featured winemakers and chefs using ingredients local to Southern California, visitors will see plein air art. The “Torrey Pines Plein Air Invitational” begins Thursday, Sept. 20 at the lodge. Visitors can seek the “open air” artists who will be painting landscapes of the Torrey Pines area on Thursday and Friday.
The event brings farmers to the city, connecting them to chefs, said executive chef Jeff Jackson of The Lodge at Torrey Pines. Adding 25 artists from around the country to paint for two days is “a way to add more to the event itself,” he added.
Jackson is a founder of the event, which allows him to showcase causes he has a personal interest in, such as Slow Food and HM Artists.
Visitors who want to get an early jump on the silent auction can attend the Picnic in the Park, said Julia Johnson of the lodge. Saturday at 11 a.m., people can head to the state reserve park, where they can buy a sandwich and drink and watch the painters.
Saturday’s Plein Air Invitational dinner begins at 6 p.m., and includes a live silent auction. Guests will have the opportunity to bid on the newly painted artwork, after it has been judged in different categories.
The ticket price of $125 covers a dinner from Jackson, who will be advising chefs from around the region, said the lodge’s Emily Greer. The dinner will feature many “host chefs” cooking and sampling their different tastes “” from George’s at the Cove to Parallel 33’s Asian cuisine.
Sunday’s visitors can picnic on the Arroyo Terrace, beginning at 11 a.m., for $65, Johnson said. Food and wine proceeds will benefit HM Artists and Slow Food.
A sunset dinner will be served Sunday night, with cocktails beginning at 7 p.m. The $140 ticket price includes dinner from the various chefs, wine tasting and entertainment.
Proceeds from the artwork will go to the Torrey Pines Reserve Endowment Fund, created in February of this year, which assists in maintaining the state park in La Jolla, regardless of the state’s finances. Some food and wine profits will benefit Slow Food and the HM Foundation, which helps young artists fulfill their dreams.
“The HM Foundation recognizes prodigious talent,” Jackson said. “Ninety-five percent of the genius out there is never recognized.”
Jackson said it takes about $100,000 to give a student the proper training, exposure and finishing. The foundation concentrates on this training and will showcase some of the talent on Sunday.
Slow Food focuses on bio-diversity, and promotes ecologically sound food production.
The Lodge at Torrey Pines is located at 11480 North Torrey Pines Road. The benefit begins on Thursday, Sept. 20 and ends Sunday night, Sept. 23.
Several of the events require tickets and reservations. For further information, visit www.celebratethecraft.com or call (858) 777-6635.