News > Art Preview: Preparing for the Spoleto Festival USA Auction

THE ART OF THE BID

by Matt Mill

image: Reese Moore Photography

It’s a collector’s dream: Being able to snag quality art at reasonable prices—wine and food in hand—all while supporting a cause you believe in, and that puts art auctions on the radar of many sharp collectors.

This Friday marks the annual Spoleto Festival USA Auction, devoted to bringing the most talented young musicians to Charleston to form the orchestra that has a hand in playing virtually every performance of the festival.

In addition to the many dinners, extravagant trips, and experiences on the auction list, the Spoleto auction committee has curated a group of works from locally and nationally acclaimed visual artists. “Many of the pieces were chosen for their broad appeal,” says photographer Drew Doggett, a member of the auction committee. “Abstract paintings, and especially those by female artists, seem to be driving a creative renaissance here in Charleston. So we are thrilled to highlight artists such as Teil Duncan, Mallory Page, and Kate Long Stevenson, whose relatable works have a vibrant energy to them.”

image: Reese Moore Photography

“Auctions are a wonderful opportunity to discover new artists that might not be on your radar,” says gallery owner Anne Siegfried of The George Gallery. “And an auction can be a great place to get a piece by an artist whose work is hard to come by, so look and see which artists are participating.”

In fact, art auctions have been responsible for growing a number of art collections in Charleston. It’s how Mike and Michele Seekings landed a new Nathan Durfee after going toe to toe for the piece, how Allison Williamson added a meaningful Brian Coleman to her wall, and how many young collectors, like Brandon and Marion Blount, began to build a solid foundation for surrounding their life with highly regarded art.

“An auction can also be an opportunity to get a piece for a steal,” says Siegfried. “Just make sure you do a little bit of homework first.”

And to help with this homework, we’ve put together a study guide of sorts. Below is a preview of the art available in this year’s auction, complete with links to get a jump start on early bidding. For those who can’t attend, there’s good news: the silent auction is open online until March 5. And since art is best seen in person, selected works are currently hanging in Fritz Porter for you to pop in and view until the day of the event.

SPOLETO FESTIVAL USA AUCTION
Friday, February 24, 6:30pm | The Cedar Room at the Cigar Factory
$225 per person; $3,000 for a table of 10

ART PREVIEW

paint, wood, trailer nails, 32″ x 32″

JOHN ACORN | Hampton III Gallery
Sea Turtle Bone with Full Moon

Estimated Value: $4,200

acrylic and oil on canvas, 24″ x 29.5″

CARL BLAIR
Come Dance with Me

Estimated Value: $5,000. Live auction item.
Call 843.724.1192 to place a bid before the live event.

31.5″ x 41.5″

EMILY BROWN | Charleston Artist Collective
Hide and Seek

Estimated Value: $1,650

preserved specimens in shadowbox, 10″ x 6″

BECCA BARNET
Shadowbox

Estimated Value: $600

mixed media on canvas, 36″ x 36″

BRIAN COLEMAN | The George Gallery
Out in the Clouds

Estimated Value: $2,150

Duncan is offering a commissioned piece. (Image provided: Cote de Citron, acrylic painting on birch wood panel, 36″ x 48″

TEIL DUNCAN
commission piece

Estimated Value: $5,000

framed, limited edition print, archival pigment print, 36″ x 28″

LIZZIE GILL | Sugarlift
Crown Jewels

Estimated Value: $750

framed, hand painted collage on paper, 19″ x 15″

LORI GLAVIN | The George Gallery
Inlet

Estimated Value: $775

oil on canvas, 30″ x 20″

KENNETH HANGER
Chinese Rooftop

Estimated Value: $1,000

sculpture, wood and spray paint, 4″ x 4″ and 3.5″ x 3″

ANNA HOPKINS
two dynamic wood sculptures

Estimated Value: $300

oil on canvas, 48″ x 36″

ALAN TAYLOR JEFFRIES | The George Gallery
Dirty Martini

Estimated Value: $2,000

oil on gallery wrapped canvas, 40″ x 30″

KATE HOORAY OSMOND
Conroy

Estimated Value: $2,700

acrylic on canvas, 18″ x 28″

MALLORY PAGE
Neutral Graphite Drawing III

Estimated Value: $2,000

oil on canvas, 22″ x 28″

ANNE DARBY PARKER | Charleston Artist Collective
Gathering of Joy

Live auction item.
Call 843.724.1192 to place a bid before the live event.

acrylic and pencil on paper, 25″ x 19″

FRANK PHILLIPS | The George Gallery
B-VII

Estimated Value: $1,500

mixed media on canvas, 30″ x 48″

SARA PITTMAN | Mitchell Hill
Undressed

Estimated Value: $2,100

limited edition (one of 15), pigment on archival cotton rag paper, 10″x10″ in 15″x15″ frame

SALTER SCHARSTEIN | The George Gallery
Untitled 1

Estimated Value: $700

acrylic and pen on paper, 8″x 7″ in 14″x 13″ frame

TOM STANLEY | The George Gallery
3

Estimated Value: $550

oil on canvas, 20″ x 16″

JILL STEENHUIS
Uni avec son Contrebasse

Estimated Value: $3,500

acrylic, gouache, and charcoal on linen, 24″ x 18″

KATE LONG STEVENSON
Untitled Bodice

Estimated Value: $2,500

oil on canvas, 12″ x 12″

RHETT THURMAN
Incandescence

Estimated Value: $1,850

Webber is offering a commissioned piece. (Image provided: from Webber’s underwater kids series.)

LEIGH WEBBER
commission piece

Estimated Value: $2,200

framed, limited edition print, archival pigment print on Canson Edition etching paper, 6.5″x 8.25″

JENNIFER WEN MA
Furious Bloom

Estimated Value: $800

oil and gold leaf on canvas, 30″ x 40″

SHANNON WOOD | Charleston Artist Collective
Lowcountry Landscape

Estimated Value: $2,100

acrylic on canvas, 22″ x 18″

PAUL YANKO | The George Gallery
Frame Brace Module

Estimated Value: $1,600

SPOLETO FESTIVAL USA AUCTION
Friday, February 24, 6:30pm | The Cedar Room at the Cigar Factory
$225 per person; $3,000 for a table of 10

Stay Connected:

buy Doxycycline online
Buy Clomid online
http://buywithoutprescriptiononlinerx.net/isotretinoin.html
Abilify No Prescription