It was the most anticipated event on the calendar of Wareham's burgeoning, young arts scene.

Wednesday evening, collectors swooped in to town to snatch up bargains on the early works of soon-to-be-major artists at the fourth annual Minot Forest Elementary Art Exhibition/ Auction and Ice Cream Social.

Okay, the collectors may have been mostly parents. And the pieces went for staggering prices of $1 or $2.50 to such major galleries as the refrigerator door. But regardless, the event raised approximately $1,675 for the art department, and students, teachers, families and other members of the Minot Forest community gathered to admire and celebrate the students' hard work.

Conceived and organized by art teacher Nancy Lennon, the annual event puts a creative twist on fundraising.

Students' best artwork is displayed along the walls, and parents must come and offer a silent bid to collect them. An ice cream social is held upstairs, helping to attract a family crowd (including the young artists themselves) and raise additional funds. Finally, Minot Forest staff donate their own artwork and crafts for a live auction that also benefits the art department.

Lennon said that she came up with the idea four years ago while reading a curriculum book about student art exhibits and decided she would make it an auction to try and raise funds.

"I thought 'why not,' it's a way to try and supply my budget, because there really isn't much of one, and that year we made $800!," she said.

Since then, the event has grown to include more than 40 volunteers, increased numbers of attendees, and parents who phone in commitments to reserve their children's works if they fear they will be unable to attend.

Fifth-grade teacher Jeff Gately calls the live auction, frequently incorrectly describing the subject matter of the art - "a lovely watercolor of a hippopotamus... wait, what's that? It's a boat?" - much to the delight of the audience and feigned chagrin of Principal Joan Seamans who was displaying each piece for the audience.

And the students enjoyed the opportunity to display their masterpieces to their parents.

Third-grader Aidan Sullivan proudly displayed his two pieces - a monster and an abstract piece using different combinations of colorful shapes - to his mother, Harriet Sullivan.

"Art and gym are my favorite things," Aidan said. "My favorite thing about art is the creativity."

"I'm really impressed, there's all kinds of art here." said Harriet Sullivan, who was there for the first time. "I teach in the middle school, and they don't have as much art as they used to. To encourage art in the elementary schools is great."

Corynn Rinta, a fifth grader at the school, was going to give one of her pieces to her grandmother for Mother's Day.

"Who wouldn't appreciate fine art for Mother's Day?" asked Corynn's mother Diana.