Treasures keep turning up at a Goodwill store in Birmingham, Ala. In September, one shopper stumbled across a designer wedding dress that was a perfect fit at only $25. Recently, another shopper found a true work of art worth far more than what she paid.
Shannon Manthey was just walking out the door of the shop as closing time approached, the sight of a 24-inch bronze sculpture stopped her. It was in the shape of a magnolia branch, complete with a blossoming flower at the end, it had a beautiful blue-green patina and, most exciting of all, it looked like the work of Frank Fleming. Even better, it had a signature confirming that it was.
Courtesy Birmingham Zoo Auction
That name might not be so widely recognized outside Alabama. Fleming (1940-2018) grew up, studied art and worked in Alabama, and his 1974 exhibition at the Birmingham Museum of Art brought his work to the attention of the director of the Pace Gallery in New York. This led to national fame. His most famous work is probably the Storyteller fountain in the Five Points South district of Birmingham, which features sculptures of a man with the head of an animal reading to a group of frogs, a wolf and other animals you might find in fairy tales.
Courtesy Library of Congress
Manthey couldn’t pass up the magnolia sculpture, especially since it was priced at only $39.99. Having also bought a calla lily sculpture to keep for herself, she decided to use the magnolia sculpture for a fitting purpose: to raise money for a local attraction. She donated it to the Birmingham Zoo to auction for its Flamingo Flamboyance fundraising gala on Oct. 5. Valued at $2,000, the piece of art sold for $11,500.
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