With all of the art galleries of the deep artistic talent in Southern Oregon, there are plenty of opportunities to purchase and own what local artists have created.

Saturday, March 18, local artist Toreah Foy is auctioning her art at the GoodBean Coffee Company in Jacksonville. All art sold will go directly to Foy’s upcoming trip to Perth, Australia, where she is participating in Youth With a Mission (YWAM).

“I have a couple of really good friends; they had both gone to Kona, Hawaii, the largest [YWAM] base. I just saw a lot of really good fruit coming from it,” Foy says about her first impression of the organization. Considering going to art school in Brooklyn, she decided instead to pursue her art through YWAM. She says, “God kind of changed my heart and my desires.”

Her art is a realistic depiction of nature. Showing vast amounts of detail, her pieces have a texture that makes you want to reach out and touch it.

“Growing up, I started drawing with graphite pencils, color pencils, and shortly after that, charcoal and pastels,” she says. “It wasn’t until high school that I really started using paints.”

Though art has always been a big part of her life, her passion for it deepened in the last couple years.

“What really stirred this passion wasn’t another artist, but the Lord and coming into close, daily relationship with Him,” she says. “Now, not only do I aim to master skills/techniques, but I pray every piece of my work brings forth new revelation, understanding, perspective, and ignites passions within its viewers’ hearts.”

Other artists’ work, which has been donated, will be shown at the silent auction. Foy will be showing around eight pieces of her own work. Although everything sold will help fund her mission, she says, “I want to carry the presence and essence of our Creator to fully step into what He has given to me.”

Not only is Foy doing that locally through this auction, she hopes to do it through the organization she will be serving with.

Art Auction for Toreah

6:30 pm, Saturday, March 18

GoodBean Coffee Company, 165 S. Oregon Street, Jacksonville

Free