Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery e-news

April 2009

 (apologies for cross postings)

 The Bushfire Benefit Art Auction held last Tuesday 31 March was a fantastic event, bringing together businesss, artists and the community to raise funds for the bushfire appeal.

 The Gallery congratulates Louise Macaulay, John Monahan and his team at LJ Hooker for organising the night.

 Thank you also to the artists and buyers!

$15,000 was raised on the night!

 

All proceeds go to the Australian Red Cross

Victorian Bushfire Appeal

Early in the night, happy new arrivals Lea Johnson and partner

And Thank You Lorri for all your help as well. As Lorri briefly mentioned, the night was a success in more ways than one. Art buyers were only too enthusiastic to raise their hands as well as their bids on most pieces. A grand sense of humour was flying high all night when John Monahan got the audience kickstarted to make their bids. I believe this is the first time an auction such as this in Swan Hill has ever taken place.  

 

I've been inspired by the concept of art auctions since 1995 when I started tuning in to the U.S. Public Broadcasting System, which relies solely on pledge drives and public funding. They are not a commercial conglomerate. Most of their art auctions that took place about two times a year on WPBS which was the station closest to me in Watertown NY, were mostly to raise money for hospital charities. It was this type of generosity that inspired me to host an art auction of my own one day.  

 

I was deeply moved by the tragic stories that were published in The Age the week after Black Saturday. I could not help but be reminded about 911 as my parents had lost dear friends to those tragedies. 

 So when I approached Ian Tully, John Monahan and Lorri Lambert about the idea I told them I was hoping to raise $15000. That really was the initial goal. But many people eluded to the fact that "people don't buy art in Swan Hill" and "these are tough times to expect people to donate so much money", not to mention that I was told that people were "bushfired out". Some of the artists had eluded to me that "people don't bid for art at auctions".  

 

Honestly, I couldn't help myself, I laughed at those statements. I said, "don't you know who's going to be auctioning these pieces?.... your lack of faith will not prevent a sell out night from happening"  

 

Mayor Cruickshank made an incredible welcome speech about that event, not to mention he stayed until the end of the night, as he was riveted by the course of the evening. John Monahan, aside from his incredible auctioning skills, made a very touching speech about friends, Alan, Carolyn and their 18 year old son Stuart O'Gorman who had lost their lives to the the bushfires in Humevale. Alan was John's fellow business associate through LJ Hooker in Wallan and Whittlesea who is survived by his 21yr old twin children.  

 

John mentioned that shortly after a meeting that he held with his LJ Hooker team about raising money for the bushfire effort, I had walked in to request that he be auctioneer for the art auction benefit. The rest became history, we were to become a team of fundraisers for this worthy cause. 

 

People were only too happy to buy drinks at bar prices and pay the $5 at the door, as they kept rocking up all night. Late arrivals were warmly welcomed. The team from LJ Hooker, Ian Tully, Marg Treseder and the Art Gallery Associates, Don Witney, Jye Lambert and Lorri Lambert worked tirelessly and effortlessly to keep the crowd entertained. 

At 9pm I drew the raffle and Russell Wilke became the proud owner of the Original Bushfire Benefit Poster art.  

 

Happy art appreciators went home  with their new acquisitions and a brand new feeling of hope and success as well as knowing about raising so much money and awareness for such a worthy cause. 

 

A big thanks goes out to all the artists who generously donated their works as well as the bidders who generously donated,

Sincerely,

Louise Macaulay

SHBB Art Auction Organizer

Ian Tully, Gallery Director, Mayor Cruickshank, Louise Macaulay, event organiser and John Monahan, auctioneer and LJ Hooker proprietor.

Ian Tully and John Monahan discuss art pieces to be auctioned

Jan Chalmers piece goes for $625
(Auction team Darren Scarce, Ian Tully, Jye Lambert and John Monahan)

Donating artist, Kevin Kropinyeri and Mayor Cruickshank
enjoying the evening 

This is a great opportunity to invest in original art, support local artists
and raise money for a worthy cause.

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