Auction: Eye Candy, Arkansas Times

Tabriz haul: $550,000

Leslie Newell Peacock — Wed, 15 May 2013 09:06:23 -0500

The biennial Tabriz auction of the Arkansas Arts Center will net at least $550,000 for the Arts Center's coffers, which will wipe out the current year's budget deficit of $216,280, Director of Operations Laine Harber said.

The fundraiser — two auctions, a black-tie dinner and an after-party held Thursday and Saturday of last week — grossed $813,000, an improvement of $200,000 over the 2011 Tabriz, chair Kakki Hockersmith reported to the board Monday. Thanks to this year's online strategy that preceded the Thursday auction, Tabriz sold $31,000 even before the party got rolling Thursday. Thursday night auction receipts were $93,000, and Saturday's $298,000. Ticket sales (the Saturday night black-tie event cost $750 a head) made up the rest.

The board also learned from director Todd Herman that the Arts Center's sorely-needed new website would go online Friday at www.arkansasartscenter.org. The old link, arkarts.com [typo in link corrected], will also work. Herman said the .com address could have suggested the Arts Center was a for-profit business. It will be the first update since the website was created in the last century.

Hockersmith said she didn't want the Arts Center to "lose the momentum" and hoped it would continue to bring in new interest and new dollars. The top three Saturday night auction items: A James Surls drawing, "On Being Back Agin with the Cow and the Bull," for $6,600; a Capital Hotel House Party for $5,000; and a Charleston, S.C., "experience" for 20 for $4,000. Top three Thursday night items: A Broadway show and backstage tour for $2,815, "Sit Like a Pro at Green Bay Packers Lambeau Field" for $1,750 and an "interactive" dinner with Chicago mixologist Paul McGee for $1,502.

Another person bought the Arts Center Board Party, in which the board members serve dinner for 12 in the galleries, for $4,000.

The Arts Center board has not yet decided what its off-year fund-raiser will be, but among the things it needs to buy is a backup generator. A wreck nearby that knocked out power to the Arts Center for three hours meant it had to cancel a Children's Theater performance and refund the money. (There are curatorial reasons as well for a system to keep the power going.) Harber also noted that the newest part of the Arts Center is now 13 years old, and the board must plan for updates.

More good news: The Signac Gallery will reopen May 24 with new paint, new text panels and new lighting. Attendance in April was up 10,500 over the year previous.

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The Rep's Silver ArtWorks is Saturday

Leslie Newell Peacock — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 15:19:00 -0500

Don't forget: The Arkansas Repertory Theatre's ArtWorks XXV auction is Saturday night at the theater at Sixth and Main streets. For $50, you can eat and drink and bid on work by more than 90 artists. The silent auction starts at 6:30 p.m. and the live at 7:30 p.m. There will be entertainment by singer/songwriter Jimmy Landfair.

Proceeds from donated art sold at ArtWorks go to support the operations of The Rep. in return, the Rep displays work by the artists in its lobbies during the theater season and all proceeds from those sales go to the artist.

Go here for more information about ArtWorks and here for the complete list of artists. For tickets, call 378-0405 or buy online at www.therep.org.

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Coming Saturday: The Rep's Artworks XXV

Leslie Newell Peacock — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:15:00 -0500

More than 90 artists and artisans are participating in the Arkansas Repertory Theatre's 25th annual ArtWorks art auction fund-raiser set for at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, April 13.

A silent auction opens with the event at 6:30; the live auction starts at 7:30 p.m. As always, there will be live music, hors d'oeuvres and an open bar. Tickets are $50.

Rep supporters will be bidding on pottery, watercolor, acrylic, photography, sculpture, jewelry and other items while listening to singer/songwriter Jimmy Landfair.

Go here for more information about ArtWorks and here for the complete list of artists. For tickets, call 378-0405 or buy online at www.therep.org.

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Quick preview: Home Plate Heroes live auction ... continued

Leslie Newell Peacock — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 17:03:53 -0500

The "Game of Baseball" by Rhonda Reeves Converse includes a recording of Jim Elder's voice. Beat that. More tomorrow, live auction day at Thea.

Thursday post: Tonight's the night, folks, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Thea Center, 401 Main St. in North Little Rock. Plates that didn't meet reserve in the online bidding will be auctioned silently tonight before the live auction.

I am the high bidder, but the reserve hasn't yet been met, on the picture below. I'm chewing my fingernails.

Sales of the home-plate-shaped paintings and objects benefit the Jim Elder Good Sport Fund.

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Another Home Plate Hero image: update

Leslie Newell Peacock — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 11:34:15 -0500

I love Rex Deloney's work, and so imagine how happy I am to see that he has contributed a home plate painting to the "Home Plate Heroes" auction sponsored by the Jim Elder Good Sport Fund to benefit kids' non-profits in Arkansas. Online bidding starts Sept. 17 at jmelder.org; they'll be displayed at the Thea Foundation, 401 Main St., NLR, through Sept. 28.

Deloney is chair of Central High School's art department. Lucky students.

The painting is a tribute to Josh Gibson, catcher for the Homestead Grays in the Negro Leagues.

Update: Susan Elder, Jim Elder's daughter and the woman behind "Home Plate Heroes," sent this better image of Deloney's work.

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Artists, step up to the plate for the Good Sport Fund!

Leslie Newell Peacock — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 14:51:52 -0500

The deadline has been extended a bit for artists to paint a homer for the annual Home Plate Heroes auction that benefits the Jim Elder Good Sport Fund. You've got until Sept. 3 to turn in your home-plate-shaped work that will be sold to benefit numerous non-profits (P.A.R.K., American Diabetes Summer Camp, Easter Seals, Hearts and Hooves ... ). The online auction begins Sept. 17 here and the live auction, at the Thea Foundation, 401 Main St., NLR, is Sept. 27.

Haven't gotten your wooden plate yet? E-mail Susan Elder, daughter of the famed Travelers' broadcaster and the creator of the fund and auction, at selder52@gmail.com.

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"Corazon" tonight

Leslie Newell Peacock — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 09:31:09 -0500

"Corazon," the annual art auction fundraiser for the Center for Artistic Revolution (CAR), which supports the LGBTQ community in Little Rock, is tonight at Mediums Art Lounge, 521 Center St. The auction, of artist-transformed wooden hearts and in its 8th year, begins at 7 p.m. Tickets at the door are $7, $5 if you can finagle them sooner. Call CAR at 244-9690 or e-mail artchangesu@yahoo.com for more info.

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"Artworks XXIV" tonight

Leslie Newell Peacock — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 09:29:00 -0500

Another auction tonight, this one benefiting the Arkansas Repertory Theater: The 24th annual "Artworks," silent and live sale of more than 80 works of art by Arkansas artists and artisans. At auction will be pottery, watercolor, acrylic paintings, photography, sculpture, jewelry and more. Among the artists donating work are Nina Burke, Lisa Funderburg, Julie Holt, Dorris Williamson Mapes, Lori Pilkington Weeks .

Music by blues/rockabilly singer Ben Brenner and the The Rep's Young Artist a cappella group, The Four Reps, kicks off the evening at 6:30 p.m., and the silent auction starts right away. Live auction is at 7:30 p.m. The event is in the lobby of the Rep, 601 Main St. Tickets are $50, which provides hors d'oeuvres and an open bar. Call 378-0405 or go online to buy tickets.

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Is your heart ready?

Leslie Newell Peacock — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:37:50 -0500

The Center for Artistic Revolution's annual "Corazon" auction of artist-transformed wooden hearts is coming April 21 at Mediums Art Lounge, and there are three days left to turn in your donation.

Haven't started yet? CAR supplies the hearts, hanging device, and paperwork; you need to get pumping. You can do anything you want to the heart, as long as it's done with love (right, CAR?). The party and silent auction start at 7 p.m. at Mediums Art Lounge, 521 Center St. Tickets are $5 in advance or $7 at the door and may be purchased by calling 244-9690 or e-mailing artchangesu@yahoo.com. Proceeds go to CAR's social justice efforts.

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Empty Bowls tonight; check out this video

Leslie Newell Peacock — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 17:02:59 -0500

Artist Lori Weeks will be painting at tonight's "Empty Bowls" benefit auction for the Foodbank at 4301 W. 65th St. and made the video above to tempt a crowd. The event starts at 6 p.m. and tickets are $65. Feed the hungry and your cravings for local art.

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Don't forget: Art to Remember

Leslie Newell Peacock — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 15:12:32 -0500

The Azheimer's Arkansas auxiliary's 13th annual "Art to Remember" benefit art auction is set for March 27 at the Pavilion in the Park, 8201 Cantrell Road. You can preview now the work that will be on sale at the Azheimer's Arkansas's website.

Tickets to the event, which starts at 6:30 p.m., are $125 a person; proceeds go to support the group's Family Assistance Program, which provides financial help to caregivers of person with dementia. The event will include heavy hors d'oeuvres and drinks along with the live and silent auction.

For more information, call 224-0021.

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PHE Picassos Saturday

Leslie Newell Peacock — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 10:19:05 -0600

Picassos, the biannual fund-raiser for arts programs at Pulaski Heights Elementary School, always includes in its auction artwork by some of Arkansas's best known artists (see the full list here), and judging by the website, it looks like there is a lot of good stuff to fight over.

The event runs 6-10 p.m. March 3 at Rick's Armory. Today's the last day to get a $15 ticket (here); they're $20 at the door. The artists get a percentage of the proceeds.

This year, the auction is an adult-only event, and bidding times will be extended a bit. The kids' art will be sold at a separate school "mini-Picassos." The thinking is that without the crumb-snatchers dashing around and climbing the exterior supports of the Armory (a time-honored tradition in the past), the more libations will be enjoyed and the looser the bidding. Sounds like a plan to me.

I've selected just a few images for the slideshow here, but you can see everything on the Picasso's website's artworks page.

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