The Museum School's very popular annual sale opens with a celebration on Thursday 29 November and will run for 4 days during which over one thousand works by students, alumni, faculty, supporters and MFA staff, will rotate through the atrium. An artist directory is available online here.
MassArt's Graduate Auction is the new kid in town and will be held for one night only, though bidding has begun online using Paddle 8. While the school already holds an annual auction in the spring in the Bakalar & Paine galleries, this one is taking place in 10,000 square feet of empty real-estate in Somerville. It is positioning itself as the edgier of the College's two events by showcasing interactive and commissioned artworks, as well as more traditional 2D and 3D pieces. Entrance to the party is ticketed.
Both of these events are designed to benefit the schools' scholarship funds, though MassArt's is the first the school has held to support their MFA program in particular. Unlike the undergraduate college, MassArt's Graduate programs receive no state funding and are completely dependent on tuition fees to run.
Building a scholarship fund is essential to keeping a competitive edge in the national art school marketplace. A part of the proceeds of both sales will go to the exhibiting artists which, along with collegiate spirit, is certainly part of the attraction for participants. MassArt's Graduate Auction was juried by Camilo Alvarez (Samsøn), Dina Deitsch (deCordova), and Kanishka Raja, meaning that, selected or not, artists can be assured their work has been seen by both peers and curators - an added enticement.
For the public, attending these events and finding their heart's desire should be a no-brainer, but when it comes to selling contemporary art Boston is a hard nut to crack. We wish both events great success and hope art lovers show up in droves to mix, mingle, dance, drink and, most importantly, open their wallets.
-- UPDATE: we've just added a link to the SMFA artsale Artist Directory in the post and below
Massachusetts College of Art & Design Graduate Auction
Night in the Box: An Art Auction to Benefit Graduate Scholarships
ONE NIGHT ONLY: Thursday 15 November
Doors Open at 6:30pm. Live Auction at 7:30pm
240 Elm Street, Somerville, MA
Bid until November 14th on the Paddle 8 website
Purchase tickets here: massartgraduateprograms.org
General public: $50
MassArt students: $25
Art Sale at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Opening celebration: Thursday 29 November from 5 to 8 pm
Hours: November 29th through December 1st, 10am to 8pm; December 2nd, 10am to 5pm
230 The Fenway, Boston, MA
www.smfa.edu/artsale
Online Artist Directory
