On Friday, a silent auction was held to raise money for the Rising Star Scholarship, along with the Shepherd Union Gallery reception for Kathryn Lindquist and her sister Laurie Lindquist Babilis.

“I had wanted to paint when I was a child, but knew I couldn’t ever make a living doing it,” Lindquist said. “I also loved reading and writing, so I became an English teacher first, and then went back to school for my master’s and Ph.D. and stayed at the university and taught.”

Lindquist taught at the University of Utah and started painting after she retired 10 years ago.

Nikki Nicholas, the Shepherd Union Building coordinator, contacted Lindquist and asked if she would do a show. Lindquist serves on the Board of Trustees and Nicholas knew she could paint. Lindquist then asked if she could do a joint show with her sister.

“It’s exciting,” Babilis said, “and also my very first show, so it’s a little scary, but it’s been fun.”

Babilis has been painting for the past 15 years. She said she used to enjoy taking art classes and, when her children left home, she took painting up again.

The gallery was called the Lindquist Legacy, a theme based around family. Many of the paintings were of family members. At the front of the gallery hung painting by C.J.A. Lindquist, Lindquist and Babilis’ grandfather.

“He is the beginning of the legacy, the Lindquist legacy in Ogden,” Lindquist said.

Both of the Lindquist sisters said not many people have seen their paintings, that they are reserved for family and friends to see.

“I was very impressed,” said Ruby Raccasi, who served on the Board of Trustees with Lindquist. “I’m glad I came.”

The painting Raccasi said she liked the most was a painting by Lindquist called Construction Zone, a painting of people on a beach.

“It looks like a photograph, even when you get close to it,” Raccasi said.

The silent auction took place outside the gallery, where people could bid on items such as paintings, drawings, jewelry and a ceramic bowl. Students, faculty and community members donated the pieces.

All proceeds from the auction will go to the Rising Star Scholarship, an annual nontraditional student scholarship. Weber State University professor Judy Elsley started the scholarship in 1997. The scholarship is usually given to one or two students a year, depending on the need.

“Every little bit helps,” Nicholas said.

To be eligible for the scholarship, students must have a 3.0 GPA, 24 completed college hours, a career path and a need to overcome financial barriers. Students write personal letters to apply, telling their stories and their needs. Students get preference if they are single females or single parents. Choosing the winners of the scholarship is a two-week process.

“I think it’s wonderful because I have been a nontraditional student myself,” Babilis said, who earned her associate’s degree from WSU. “I know it’s a lot of work for a lot of mothers with families trying to get their degrees.”