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Thursday, May 17, 2001
Original art for a song
Annual auction gives beginners a shot at gallery-worthy pieces
By Brendan Walsh
Caller-Times

Photo by George Gongora/Caller-Times

‘Owl and Bluejay,’ a watercolor by Billy Hassell, will be auctioned Friday at the Art Museum of South Texas.

   Beginning art collectors can find myriad original works at reasonable prices and help out a good cause at the same time at the Annual Art Auction at the Art Museum of South Texas. On Friday evening almost 80 pieces of original art will be sold at the benefit, which is organized by the Auxiliary to benefit the South Texas Institute for the Arts.
   "The Art Auction has been a terrific way to introduce the idea of art collecting to many in Corpus Christi," said Bill Otton, director of the South Texas Institute for the Arts. The auction is now in its eighth year. Last year, about $18,000 was raised for the museum.
   While fundraising is the primary goal of the auction, Auxiliary president Julie Rinas says helping first-time buyers start an art collection is an added benefit. Most of the 77 pieces available will sell for about $150, which while not cheap, is certainly less expensive than comparable pieces would fetch in galleries.
   The artists who donated their work to the auction are mostly regional - though artists from all over the country have donated pieces - and work in a variety of media. Sculpture, photography, portraits, landscapes, screen printings, oils and "just everything that anybody could want" will be up for bid, according to Rinas.
   Less traditional
   Lest one think that the art for sale is typical of "starving artist" sales, i.e., big oil, acrylic or watercolor landscapes or portraits, Rinas stresses that plenty of less traditional and abstract pieces will be for sale as well. Unusual glasswork, pottery and sculpture is designed with the collector of contemporary art in mind. A particularly interesting piece by New York artist Patrick Brady is a stylized cigar box that mounts on a wall.
   Ken Rosier, an art professor at Del Mar, donated a ceramic piece to the auction. "I think the art museum is such a terrific cultural asset for the community," Rosier said. "The museum continually does a great job of bringing a variety of exhibitions to the public here, so it's a natural thing for me to be involved in since I'm interested in art and the business of art."
   Nora Garcia is a long-time Corpus Christi resident and artist who donated a landscape print to the auction. For Garcia, the quality of life enhancements the museum brings are invaluable. "We're trying very hard to develop our culture here in South Texas, and the museum is a very good way of doing it," she said, commenting that she sees good museums almost as important as good schools in attracting residents, visitors and businesses to the Coastal Bend.

George Gongora/Caller-Times

‘Goat Mountain Sunset’ by Dennis Blagg is among 77 works of art for auction.

   Rosier also supports the Auxiliary's goal of encouraging first-time art collectors, calling it a "noble effort." For those just beginning a collection Rosier suggests they "consider work that appeals to them, and not worry about making an investment that's going to appreciate rapidly."
   Bid box
   The pieces of art for sale will be divided into 12 groups, or "walls," and there will be a bid box for each wall. Beginning at 6:30 p.m. bidders can browse the available items. A bidder interested in a piece will place a card in the appropriate bid box by 8 p.m., when all the boxes will be sealed and the auction begins.
   There will be a live auction for the first-pick of art from each wall. Then, bid cards will be drawn at random from each bid box. Those selected will have the option of buying - for $150 - a piece of art from the corresponding wall. The process will continue until all pieces are sold.




Contact Brendan Walsh at 886-3763 or walshb@caller.com

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