Standing in the lobby of Memphis College of Art, surveying the pieces on exhibit for the 17th annual "Works of Heart Valentine Auction," Murray Riss announced, "Corny doesn't work. And, if it's sentimental, it better have substance. Straight-out love doesn't work, but if you take it a step further, it gets very interesting."

Riss, an artist who has helped organize the auction since its inception, is right.

Bert Sharpe and Petti Lechman's "Plight of the Whoopers."

Katie Dann used earthenware and a silver pendant to create her piece.

Tim Andrews offers "Spring," acrylic on wood, for the "Works of Heart" auction.

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There's nothing sappy about this work or the event itself, a benefit for the Memphis Child Advocacy Center, which will be held at the Memphis College of Art on Saturday.

Sure, the 110-plus artists, including marquee names like John McIntire, George Hunt and Dolph Smith who have created and donated work to the auction, used a piece of heart-shaped wood as a diving platform to explore romance, sentimentality, and unconditional love. But they've managed to do so without once swimming into the syrupy-sweet waters so often associated with Valentine's Day.

Some of the wooden hearts, like Carol Sams' "Tree of Heart," are simply, yet exquisitely painted. Others, like Lisa Trilby's "October" and Lyn Brands' "Your Treasure, Your Heart," are embellished with polymer clay or pressed flowers. In some cases -- take Dale Cox's photograph of a swamp, "The Heart of the Ghost", for example -- you have to strain to find the heart; in other works, like Jean Moss' sculpture, "Dorothy's Gift," it's front-and-center.

If you've ever loved, or been loved, there is something for you here: Declarations of romantic love, such as Annette Elizabeth Fournet's red velvet wrapped "Promise," and Sarah Hascher's "Journey of Love," which consists of a heart transformed into a book, opened to a pop-up ship sailing on a sea of pages.

Visual puns, including N.J. Woods' "Heart Land," Carroll Todd's "Load of Love," and Charles Chandler's "Deerest I Love You." Love for our new president, evident in work by David Simmons, Nancy Mah, Brantley Elzey and Tootsie Bell. And, for the pet lover, plenty of animal theme works, including Valerie Berlin's "Dog Party" and Carol Deforest's pink poodle-encrusted "Canine Confection."

"You can also see the vision of the Child Advocacy Center represented in a number of these hearts," said Virginia Stallworth, associate director of the organization.

She paused in front of Dolph Smith's "Haven," a heart-shaped house attached to a tall, narrow ladder, and said, "Every rung represents a person who is working to lift up children."

The auction, which began in 1992 as a benefit for the Memphis Mental Health Association, now generates funding for support services for children who have been sexually or physically abused, and for awareness campaigns.

"It's an incredible cause," said artist David Simmons. "Over the years, we've had people who couldn't afford a particular artist's work come here and find out that they can."

"This is a silent auction, but every so often, we have to transition into a live bid-off, when two people are hot and heavy over the same piece," said Stallworth.

Works of Heart Valentine Auction

Kym Clark of WMC-TV channel 5 is the emcee. Saturday from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Memphis College of Art. Tickets are $50 and include complimentary wine, beer and appetizers. Preview the art today from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, call 888-4341 or go to MemphisCAC.org.