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Thursday, November 19, 2009

Arts BW Cover Auction Nets Record Proceeds

Posted by Rachael Daigle on Thu, Nov 19, 2009 at 2:59 PM

TMP dancer Chanel DaSilva shows off Matthew Grovers Highwheeler.

TMP dancer Chanel DaSilva shows off Matthew Grover's "Highwheeler."

First, thank you, Boise, for showing up, hanging out and ultimately helping us net record proceeds at last night's eighth annual Cover Art Auction.

After the cash was tallied from auction bids as well as the money we raised on beer and wine, the auction grossed more than $15,000. Once we've paid the bill for framing every piece, we expect to put more than $12,000 into Boise Weekly's private art grant, for which any local artist or organization is eligible to apply. That's roughly $800 more than we've ever put back into the art community. The grant process opens in January, so get your ideas ready.

Since 2002, when Boise Weekly held its first auction, we've raised $92,838 for the arts community. That first year, we netted a mere $3,196, which was donated to children's arts programs through the YMCA.

Fun facts about the auction:
• 350 people attended this year, a record to date.
• Also a record to date: the number of bidders at 94.
• This year's highest bid $1,200. The record bid is $1,900, which was in 2007.
• Beer and wine sales raised about $400, which bought you a keg of beer, three cases of wine and 18 bottles of beer.
• In 2007, BW employees spent $3,520 collectively on covers. In 2008, we spent $1,160 and this year, we threw down a meager $160. But we're only slightly puzzled by those numbers: 2007 was back in the day before we all had kids and mortgages. Take it from someone who didn't buy a darn thing—it wasn't because I didn't love a few pieces enough to look at them everyday.

Two auction attendees look for the meaning of life in a cover.

Two auction attendees look for the meaning of life in a cover.

Thanks to Smoky Mountain Pizza for providing the grinds, to Big Tree Arts for the hilarious intro, to Trey McIntyre Project for so gracefully showcasing each piece, to Boise Rock School for the pint-sized "TNT," to Sockeye Brewing for the keg, to Rick Jackson at Blue Dog Frame Gallery for framing every piece and to Idaho State Historical Museum for hosting the whole shebang.

Now that we've sold all of our art, the walls in BW's offices are back to bare grey. Get paintin/drawing/scupltin/shootin so that we have something to look at.

Tags: Cover Auction