'Fresh Paint' Auction to Benefit UA Museum of Art
Artist Eugenia Pell, chairwoman of the Fresh Paint fundraiser, created a painting to be used as part of the event's logo. It is one of more that 100 pieces to be auctioned off to benefit the UA Museum of Art next weekend.
Completing the perfect piece of art can take time, but next week artists from the University of Arizona and the Tucson community will be tasked with creating last-minute paintings and drawings for a fundraising event to benefit the UA Museum of Art.
The inaugural Fresh Paint fundraiser challenges local artists to create a one-of-a-kind two-dimensional art piece to be created some time between Sunday and the day of the event, which is Nov. 14. The donated artworks will be exhibited and auctioned off during an evening of food and entertainment at the museum.
Sponsored by the UA Museum of Art and UAMA Partners – a program offering fundraising support to the museum – Fresh Paint will feature the "fresh" works of 122 artists, including representatives from several local arts organizations and UA students, alumni and employees.
Tickets to the event are $50 and include refreshments and live musical entertainment by Jovert, Tucson High School's steel drum band. Guests will be able to bid on all 122 works during a silent auction beginning at 6 p.m. Bids start at $20, and the eight pieces that receive the highest bids will move on to a live auction at 7:30 p.m.
Proceeds from the event will support future exhibitions and programming at the museum, which is experiencing tight financial times.
In the wake of budget cuts at the UA, the museum began charging a $5 admission fee to members of the public for the first time this year. The museum also has had to eliminate five full-time positions, said Charles Guerin, the museum's director.
"We're like any other division on campus. We've taken our share of the cuts, and it's forced us to approach things a little differently," said Guerin, who will create a piece for the fundraiser.
The museum traditionally holds one major fundraiser a year, a floral-themed "Bouquets to Art" fundraiser or some other event in the spring. This year, there will be two events – Fresh Paint and Bouquets to Art – with the hope that Fresh Paint will become an annual event, said Christine Aguilar, administrative secretary at the museum, who will contribute an oil painting to the auction.
Jackson Boelts, a professor in the School of Art, said he plans to begin a watercolor painting the day of the fundraiser, which was open to participation by UA employees campuswide.
He said he jumped at the opportunity to support the on-campus museum, which is not part of the UA College of Fine Arts.
"They've got a world-class museum over there and I think it's sad they don't get more support," he said.
Debra Gregerman, an adjunct lecturer in the English department, who makes art as a hobby, said she was excited by the opportunity to show off her work and help the museum.
"It has so much more meaning for me to create something in support of the arts instead of just writing a check," she said.
The idea for the Fresh Paint fundraiser came from local artist Eugenia "Genii" Pell, a member of the UAMA Partners' 20-member board and chairwoman of the Fresh Paint event. She had participated in a similar fundraiser for a museum in Newport, R.I., which asked artists to create a piece the day of the event.
Pell said she hopes the fundraiser will help draw a new audience into the museum for a relaxed and fun evening in support of the arts.
For event and ticket information, contact Aguilar at 621-5676. Additional information, including a complete listing of participating artists, is available on the UAMA Web site.