Artist Trust
Deadline: 10/6/2023 at 11:59 PM PST
Artist Trust’s open call for art for our Annual Benefit Art Auction will be open from September 6 – October 6, 2023! Visual and jewelry artists are invited to submit up to three works to be considered for inclusion in the Trust’s 2024 Auction. Work will be on exhibition at AXIS Pioneer Square and online at www.artisttrustauction.org during March 2024, with a public opening celebration held during Pioneer Square’s First Thursday Art Walk on March 7 and a ticketed closing brunch event on March 24.
The Artist Trust Benefit Art Auction is an annual fundraising event series that brings together artists, community members, collectors, donors, and friends to celebrate and support individual artists of all disciplines working in Washington State. The 2024 Benefit Art Auction will be a hybrid online and in-person event series from March 7 to 24, 2024 at AXIS Pioneer Square in Seattle. Collectors can bid on work in person or online and donating artists can receive 50% commission on the sale price of their work.
Artist Trust is a nonprofit organization that supports working artists of all disciplines in Washington State. Their funding and other programs for artists are supported through fundraising, partnership, and community engagement. Recognized as a national model for direct funding and professional development for working artists, they have invested over $15 million in individual artists since their founding in 1986. Learn more by visiting www.artisttrust.org.
Artist Trust is committed to becoming an anti-racist organization, and to working against the systems of racism we have inherited, upheld, and perpetuated. We know we are not there yet. Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) have been systemically oppressed, and the Trust is committed to partnering with them to eradicate white supremacy throughout its own organization and to support historically marginalized artists across Washington State. More information about their work towards racial equity can be found here.
For the upcoming auction, the Trust is looking for 50 – 60 items. Their aim is to present your best work, and artwork will be juried on the following criteria:
- Quality and originality of the work
- Audience appeal and ability to sell
- Size and weight, for ease of transport and installation (Size limit for 2D work is 48” x 48”)
- Retail value ($200 to $3,000 preferred); bidding starts at 50% of retail value
Artists are welcome to submit work outside these parameters – exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis. Due to installation restrictions and depending on media, there may also be weight restrictions. If your work is selected, the jury would pick just one piece for inclusion, regardless of the number of pieces submitted.
2D work must be framed, when appropriate, or otherwise accompanied with the appropriate hanging hardware. (Artists are encouraged to include the value of this service in the retail value of the submitted piece.) Accepted work will need to be dropped off at the Artist Trust office in Capitol Hill, Seattle in January 2024. Should you want or need to ship your work, Artist Trust is unable to reimburse you for shipping expenses.
The jury selecting the works to be included in the auction consists of accomplished artists, collectors, gallerists, and curators. The 2024 Benefit Art Auction jurors will be announced soon!
Benefits for donating artists include:
- A 50% commission for sold work
- A complimentary ticket and?discounted guest ticket to the March 24 Brunch
- A complimentary one-year Artist Trust Membership
- Artwork, bio, and website highly visible to the auction jury, on the auction website, and to an auction audience of 500+ collectors, arts professionals, nonprofit leaders, and artist peers
- Selected works featured in social media, email promotion, and guided curator tour
- Infinite gratitude from Artist Trust’s staff and board!
Timeline
- October 6, 2023 | Submission deadline
- End of October | Jury meets
- Early November | Selection notifications sent to artists
- End of January 2024 | Artwork drop-off
- March 7, 2024 | Auction opens with First Thursday Art Walk
- March 24, 2024 | Closing Brunch
If you have any questions, contact Justine Deacon (she/her), Annual Giving & Events Director, at justine@artisttrust.org
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