Works by more than 100 of Chicago’s prominent artists are currently up for grabs. And close by, too.
Evanston Art Center, 2603 Sheridan Road, is holding a silent auction that showcases a wide variety of contemporary art. The auction is part of the center’s annual Spring Benefit, which ends May 14 with a formal closing night party and live auction.
Lelde Kalmite, the center’s director of development, said the event provides great deals for beginning art collectors and students. A benefit auction is one of the best ways to buy art from popular artists, she said.
“This is a real opportunity for a young collector, and even students, to pick up something at a lower price,” Kalmite said.
Starting bid amounts for many of the pieces are listed at hundreds of dollars below their retail prices, Kalmite said. Commercial galleries tend to have higher starting bids because they often charge a 50 percent commission in addition to other costs, she said.
Kalmite estimated that 20 percent of the pieces had been bid on as of Tuesday.
“You can’t find art investments like this,” said Alan Leder, the center’s executive director.
The selection includes work by Karl Wirsum, Barbara Crane and Paul Sierra, who Leder called some of the “most prestigious artists in the Chicago area.”
Although most pieces are hanging paintings no larger than 2 sq. ft., the auction also includes a necklace with turquoise beads and a plastic and metal chair with Marilyn Monroe’s face on it.
Some items, such as a pearl bowl by Evanston Art Center ceramics teacher Vanessa Smith, start at $15. Most other pieces were priced between $100 and $400.
Works from the most well-known artists that are included in the auction are on display, but will not be open for bidding until the live auction at the benefit’s closing night party.
Leder said most of the 13 pieces reserved for the live auction make use of “conceptual” photography — an impressionistic form of photography he said is gaining in prestige in the contemporary art world.
“Conceptual photography has taken its rightful place as an artistic medium,” he said.
All of the pieces at the auction were donated to the center, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. Proceeds benefit the center’s school, exhibitions and outreach programs.
Leder’s connections from three decades working on the Illinois Arts Council made the donations possible, Kalmite said.
“There is hardly an artist in the Illinois area that Alan Leder doesn’t know,” Kalmite said.
“This is not just about how much money their piece will make,” Leder said of the 130 prominent artists who donated. “It’s about giving back to the art community. Many of these artists had their start here.”
The center offers arts and crafts programs including adult and youth classes and Artreach, a free after-school art program for Evanston elementary-school students. The center schedules between 6 and 8 exhibits per year, Kalmite said.
“Our mission is to make contemporary art accessible to all people,” she said.
The silent auction goes until May 14. Admission is free. Tickets to the closing night party are $100. Evanston Art Center can be reached at (847) 475-5300.
Reach Deborah Meron at [email protected].
