By: Monika Raczkowski
Posted In: News
Photo credit: Anna Liang
One of the men in the audience turned around in his chair and looked at a woman surrounded by children, fidgeting in their chairs with cupfuls of chips.
“Look, he’s looking at his wife to see if he can bid,” auctioneer and Art Guild advisor Gerry Perrino said as he looked into the crowd of bidders.The audience erupted into laughter, only to be interrupted by fast paced bidding. Salve’s Art Guild held its auction, “Small Art with a Big Heart” on February 6th, in Wetmore Stable in order to raise money for a trip to New York City. The Art Guild comprises of ten to fifteen regular members who hope to supplement the cost of bussing and museum fees. The success of the auction determines the length of the excursion. If the Guild makes enough money, they will be able to stay overnight in NYC. Within minutes, portraits, ceramics, paintings, jewelry, decorated cards, and drawings were sold accompanied by, refreshments, music, and the crowd’s laughter. “I picked up some amazing pieces of art,” said Salve student, Alix Bornstein. One of the many highlights of the event included a heated bidding competition over a print of a naked man. The auction was full of surprises. Raffles throughout the night kept the audience at the edge of their seats. An impromptu red surprise box had a bidder earning money rather than spending it. The audience expected chocolates or something that correlated with the Valentine’s Day theme when they saw the red box. Instead, a pile of dollar bills was inside. A member of the audience asked about the order in which items were held for bidding because the auction was not going in order of the list.”That’s the Art Department way,” said Perrino. The crowd laughed again, seemingly content with the informality. Students submitted their work to the Guild and biddings started between one to sixty-five dollars for professional pieces. An original Sam Ames piece, for example, started at a bid of fifty, while certain prints started from only a dollar. “Pulling it all together and getting it all ready in time was one of the most difficult challenges” Courtney Ellinger, vice president of the Guild. Included in the show were pieces by Stephen Heywood, Dan Ludwig, Sam Ames, Langlais, and Joanna DeLomba. “It’s a great way for people who don’t know about art to find out about it” said Caitlin Nattini, a Salve student. The guild has held other events in the past that included pumpkin carving before Halloween. According to Ellinger, the auction is normally held each year but had a short hiatus in years past. “Bringing it back was a success in itself” said Ellinger. At the last auction, the Guild raised $900. “It was not as successful as years past but with the money left over we can hopefully afford the trip,” said Perrino, “I would never say I am disappointed about these auctions.” Members of the Art Guild meet weekly on Wednesday afternoons, and anyone can donate their artwork for the auction.
