The Carolina Hurricanes recently held their annual Gala at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, offering fans a chance to interact with players and bid on exclusive experiences and memorabilia. All proceeds from the event support the Carolina Hurricanes Foundation.
A highlight of this year’s auction was artwork by Adam Bailey, a local woodworker and artist. Bailey created wooden portraits of Seth Jarvis and Brandon Bussi for the occasion. He previously worked with the Foundation to produce a Rod Brind’Amour piece for the team’s 20th Anniversary Championship Celebration in December.
“Once we saw his incredible wood art in person, we immediately knew it was something special. The craftsmanship, detail, and uniqueness of the medium stood out right away,” said Amy Daniels, Executive Director of the Carolina Hurricanes Foundation. “It became clear that incorporating a custom piece into our auction would be a meaningful and exciting way to elevate the event.”
Bailey’s work is defined by his “No Paint, No Stain” technique, using only different types of wood to create images without any added color or stain. Each project uses natural wood grain colors to match images of objects or people.
Bailey began woodworking at an early age and credits family influences for sparking his creativity. He now shares this hobby with his young son. “(My son and I) started doing this in a way for people to see because he started doing artwork. I thought it would be cool that, if he was doing art and I was doing art, it was something we could do together,” he said.
Over nearly four years, Bailey has developed intricate designs using various cuts and types of wood—a process that can take between 50-80 hours per piece. “I wanted to see if I could make a piece of art look like something realistic, and then from there, just kept creating new things and trying to see if I could do different things, like making people look like people,” he said. “Once I figured that out, that’s when I really got locked into this art mode.”
His growing interest in woodworking coincided with following the Hurricanes more closely—a shared interest with his son that inspired further artistic creations featured at this year’s Gala.
“His ability to represent our players in this medium is nothing short of remarkable,” Daniels said about Bailey’s work. “Beyond his talent, he’s a genuine fan of our team and deeply committed to giving back to the community, which aligns perfectly with the mission of the Carolina Hurricanes Foundation.”
After completing a portrait of Brind’Amour last December—who is recognized among other significant contributors such as Eric Staal in the Carolina Hurricanes Hall of Fame—Bailey continued producing Canes-themed pieces based on personal inspiration from games attended or player stories during the season.
One new piece features Jalen Chatfield performing his signature bow-and-arrow celebration; it will be auctioned off during an upcoming game on February 28 as part of Black History Month recognition efforts.
“The idea around Black History Month, I thought of Jalen Chatfield doing the bow-and-arrow,” explained Bailey. “I wanted to represent him specifically because he’s a player that everybody loves. I obviously love him because having someone who looks like you play hockey and who you root for means something, and that’s kind of the spirit of Black History Month.”
Bailey’s contributions helped raise nearly $5,000 for charitable initiatives supported by the Foundation across North Carolina.
“The Canes Gala is the Foundation’s biggest night of the year for fundraising. It brings together an incredible collection of supporters— fans, corporate sponsors, community partners, and players — all united around one purpose: making a positive impact in our community,” Daniels said.
“The funds raised help ensure we can continue awarding grants and supporting meaningful initiatives throughout the community, so having fans [like Bailey] contribute in such a unique and personal way makes the night even more impactful.”
The Lenovo Center hosts over 150 events each year—including hockey games—and accommodates up to 20,000 attendees within its facility spanning more than 700,000 square feet (source). The venue also provides suites and various amenities while contributing over $200 million annually to Raleigh’s economy through events like these (source).
Looking ahead after participating in another successful Gala event with strong community turnout—a tradition since their Stanley Cup win in 2006 (source)—Bailey expressed hopes for future projects centered on favorite players such as Jordan Staal or Jordan Martinook when memorable moments arise.
“I want to do Jordan Staal but I want to wait until he’s hoisting the Cup,” Bailey said. “So I’m hoping this year’s the year… I’ll wait to do a Jordan Staal piece… guys that I really love… I want to do those when they’re hoisting the Stanley Cup.”
