The deadline for reservations for an evening of entertainment and culture is quickly approaching.

Reservations must be made by Saturday for “Prelude 2001,” a silent art auction and musical production featuring works of art donated by area artists and businesses and a variety of musical acts, said Jon Crask, event coordinator.

The Coles County Arts Council is to be held Feb. 24 at the Charleston Country Club. The council is sponsoring the event to support its programs.

Artwork up for bidding will feature a wide variety of mediums, ranging from watercolor paintings to ceramic sculpture. Local artists who have contributed works in the past and will return this year include Duane Naragon and blacksmith Lorelei Sims, Crask said.

The Junior Cartoonists Society also will submit a selection of works to bid upon, Crask said.

The musical program for the evening will include three Honors Recital winners and the acoustic guitar stylings of Robert St. Gemme, Crask said.

The Jacqueline Bennet Dance Center Ballet Company’s interpretation of the children’s ballet “Peter and the Wolf” will lead up to the main music event of the evening – a performance by the Michael Stryker Swing Band.

Stryker is a member of the jazz studies faculty, and his ensemble recently performed live on WILL public radio in Champaign.

Hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar will be available throughout the evening, Crask said.

The event is open to the public. Admission is $10 per person, and the event will run from 6:30 to around 11 p.m. To make reservations, or for more information, call Crask at 348-0086. Memberships to the Coles County Arts Council also are available.

Programs that Coles County Art Council supports include: Kids’ Arts in the Park; Gallery Walk; Annual Honors Music Recital; Dudley House Poetry Readings; Fourth of July Chalk-In; Artist’s Day in the Garden; Artist-in-Education Residency; mini-grant for a young adult; nine scholarships to Eastern’s art, music and speech camps; and art exhibitions in the Cityart Gallery, Peterson House and What’s Cookin’ restaurant.