When you ask seven-year-old Sydney Hagerman what she wants to be when she grows up, she says she wants to be either a painter or a singer. Judging from the beautiful butterfly she painted for the Fountain Hills Community Foundation’s 2021 Flutter at the Fountain fundraiser, she already has a head start on becoming an exceptional artist.“
I think I did a good job,” she says with confidence, “especially with the grass. I haven’t painted grass in a long time.”
Sydney named her butterfly “My Sweet Home” because the aluminum cutout reflects an Arizona blue sky filled with fluffy white clouds, a brilliant orange sunset, and signature Sonoran Desert saguaro cactus on its wings. The young artist says she loves to paint, especially sunsets and skies.
“I just love looking at the stars at night,” she says.
The 2021 Flutter at the Fountain is the Fountain Hills Community Foundation’s second annual event. Eight 36” butterflies, 12 24” butterflies and 12 12” butterflies were painted by local artists and auctioned off to the highest bidder. Sydney said she wanted the recipient of her butterfly, which ultimately sold for $700, to “take good care of it.” The anonymous bidder gifted the butterfly back to the Sydney’s grandmother and it now resides in her living room.
All proceeds from Flutter at the Fountain benefit the Fountain Hills Community Foundation, also known as Fountain Hills Gives, which assists local educational, cultural and humanitarian nonprofit organizations with additional funding. Applications for community grants will be available December 20 through January 31st. Applicants can apply directly online at www.fountainhillsgives.com