MoNA art auction was live Friday

What was old was new again at the Museum of Northwest Arts 30th annual auction in person at the museum Friday, June 17. Every wall of the first and second floor galleries was hung with art, with sculptures displayed on stands and tables.

The art was mostly donated by local and regional artists and collectors. Still-new Executive Director Stefano Catalani marveled at the generosity of artists and collectors in offering their work for the fundraiser, noting, “This is one of the few auctions where you have prime from the fifties and sixties with contemporary artists.”

Indeed, the Golden Ticket winner, Keith Wyman chose a Mark Tobey piece, “Winter Leaves,” a 1974 etching on Japon paper valued at $4,000. The $100 ticket gave the winner the pick of the live auction's 30 offerings or nearly all in the silent auctions.

Tobey came to La Conner in the 1940s, becoming one of a critical mass of fine artists connected to the Skagit Valley.

A Clayton James sculpture, “Couple,” pottery, date not known, with an estimated value of $7,500 was in the same set of three pieces as Tobey’s, along with Richard Morhous’ “2nd Story,” 1997, acrylic on paper, valued at $3,000.

Tuesday the museum posted on its website that it raised at least $320,000.

It appears the museum will meet it $100,000 “Fund-the-Future” goal, which was generously supported with challenge grants.

Tickets to attend were $100 or $250 for patrons funding artists attending.

One hundred Golden Tickets were sold at $100 each.

There were 30 live auction items and 303 silent auction items. The evening started with a social hour and browsing at 4:30 p.m. Art was all around, but so were food and beverages. Casey Schanen, former owner of Nell Thorn’s, was back behind the oyster bar, ah shucks. Area restaurants prepared a variety of hors d’oeuvres. Midway through the bidding those tables were refilled with desserts, including chocolate-covered strawberries.

The live auction was in the upstairs gallery, people sitting in chairs surrounded by a room full of the 30 art pieces to be purchased. Catalani was emcee, providing a welcome and introducing each set of three art pieces. Ian Lindsay was back as auctioneer. Lindsay skillfully moved the evening forward, directing people upstairs, so the live auction could start.

The hybrid format, with people watching and bidding from home, perhaps enhanced the opportunity of using short videos to showcase museum programs and the staff and volunteers behind them. La Conner resident Joan Cross went first, as co-host, honored for her support of the museum in selling it her Crossroads property at South Second and Washington streets. She joked the video clip was her 10 seconds of fame.

Gretchen McCauley and Betsy Humphrey were recognized as art auction committee’s co-chairs, roles they have repeatedly filled over the decades. Ann Caldwell was honored with the annual Trustees’ Award.

For the live auction, Lindsay took on the role of horse race announcer as art was offered in sets of three. Technology linked the museum attendees with online bidders. Bidding for all was seamless through an app that everyone used.

Lindsay hyped, prodded and encouraged bidders in the two minute segments, which had numerous 10-second countdowns as he pushed bids higher. For over two hours he put the crowd through 10 sets of horseraces, the auction finishing about 7:15 p.m..

The auciton’s theme was “The Future is Here!” Saturday night the future was funded. It was really fun as well, Director of Development Joanna Sikes noted, glad for folks being able to gather. She was pleased for the attendance and “the numbers we hoped for we were able to get” as well.” It was a great evening, live and onstream, though proof of vaccination was needed to get in.

The catalog of the auction art is on the MoNA website.