The painting
PHILIPSBURG--The painting “Beautiful SXM” by Suzanne Domenech, donated to raise funds for the cause of supporting the Freegan Food Foundation, will be the reopening masterpiece of stmaartenauction.com.
Bidding can be done via the website, Freegan Food Foundation said in conjunction with St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA).
SHTA sees assisting Freegan Food with auctioning a painting called “Beautiful SXM” as a symbolic start of the 2025 auction collection. The painting, in the words of painter Domenech, “is a vibrant and deeply meaningful tribute to the island of St. Maarten, blending the island’s natural beauty with its rich cultural heritage. The painting centres on the portrait of a woman adorned with a striking head wrap, symbolising the iconic mountains of St. Maarten.”
All benefits of this auction item will go to Freegan Food Foundation, which is dedicated to reducing (food) waste and supporting communities through different initiatives, like providing meals to families in need on St. Maarten and running a thrift store. With its initiatives and the dedication of volunteers, the foundation works towards a sustainable and equitable future.
Another unique item celebrating the comeback of the St. Maarten Auction project is that of an Amsterdam city tram. For a long time, this wholly renovated tram has been the landmark of AMA Jewelers on Front Street. Due to their moving to a new and larger location down the street, the tram is now put on auction by the jewellery company to serve as a ready-to-go restaurant, ice cream parlour, bar or shop by a new owner, according to a press release.
The website stmaartenauction.com is a platform where residents and visitors can bid on special items on offer at a reduced price from SHTA’s hospitality, activity, culinary, retail, manufacturing and service sectors. Whereas this painting focuses on art-loving audiences, the February auction collection consists of a wide variety of consumer and holiday items, varying from hotel stays, activities, jewellery, food and drinks. Bidding traditionally starts at 50% of the market value and can be done until the last day of the month, after which new items are placed.
In its renewed format, SHTA offers the auction platform to fellow non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to put items on auction to a wider audience than would possibly be within their reach, and support their income in the process.
Having grown continuously over the past decade, SHTA said its membership growth picked up 10% over 2024. Its membership now represents more than half of the St. Maarten economic product and SHTA is looking forward to making a wide variety of products available via the auction “game for a cause” setting, for both visitors and residents looking for a “staycation” or other bargains. It invites fellow NGOs that look for a platform to take up contact via
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SHTA thanked contributing companies for making the revival of
stmaartenauction.com possible.
