This piece is called Sending Out , a 12″ by16″ painting on linen that is currently available in an online auction to benefit The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes, a local organization that promotes the arts in my area. It has been a mainstay in our area for many years and has provided immense support for numerous young (and older!) artists through that time. One of my first solo exhibits early on in my career took place at the gallery space at their offices in Corning. It was a big boost for an unknown artist and gave me the confidence to push ahead. I think it’s a vital organization for our area and I hope that in some small way I can contribute to its continued success.
This online auction ends on May 3 and is then continued and ends after a silent auction (which has absentee bidding on the auction site) at their annual REcycled Runway Fashion Show on the following evening, May 4. This is their big event each year and consists of fashions made from unusual discarded items. There was a gown made from old blue nylon tarps and another dress made from colorful bags that once held black oil sunflower seeds in last year’s show. The creativity is pretty remarkable and it’s always a rousing success for an organization that I want to see continued in my home area.
I normally don’t donate a lot of work for the many art auctions for charities that take place in many localities around the country. I know that sounds sort of rude when taken at face value so I had better explain. It’s not that I don’t support these charities. On the contrary, I usually donate cash instead or will auction a piece on my own, as I have done here in the past for the disasters in Haiti and Japan. It’s just that most of these events take place in the areas where the art market is small and the retail galleries in these areas are definitely hurt by these auctions.
Maintaining a gallery in a small market is a tough business with a finite amount of collectors and to lose even a handful of potential sales from one of these auctions, let alone the dozens that usually take place throughout the year, can hurt their business and even imperil their very existence. I have a sense of loyalty and responsibility for these galleries that give a community such a cultural flavor and offer many area artists an opportunity to exhibit and sell their work. I know that I am forever indebted for them giving me a life-changing opportunity when I began my career. If I can help them stay in business then hopefully that same opportunity can be extended to another young artist whose life will be forever altered.
But this is the one auction I do donate to. I thought that this year I would let the wider world know about it in hopes of raising a few more dollars for an organization that enables the dreams of many artists, both established and aspiring, in this area. So, if you want to help the Arts or want to possibly pick up a piece of art at a bargain price, check out the auction at BiddingForGood.com.
Thanks!
Redtree Times 