The 33rd MassArt Auction to be held as a hybrid event Saturday, April 9
- Press Release
Boston, MA – March 9, 2022 – Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) announces plans to host the 33rd MassArt Auction in person on Saturday, April 9, 2022. After two years of virtual auctions due to the pandemic, MassArt will welcome guests back to the Design and Media Center on MassArt’s campus for the Live Auction, which will be conducted by auctioneer Karen Keane (CEO of Skinner and MassArt Trustee) simultaneously in person and virtually on the auction platform Bidsquare. The timed Silent Auction opens for bidding on Bidsquare March 21 at noon and will close Sunday, April 10 at noon. All Live and Silent Auction artwork will be installed at the College and available for viewing by appointment starting March 21. The College will uphold standard COVID protocols for the in-person event including operating at a reduced capacity and requiring vaccinations and mask-wearing for all its attendees and vendors.
The 33rd MassArt Auction will feature more than 325 lots in a variety of media by emerging to internationally renowned artists. Among the 32 lots in the Live Auction are an artist’s proof of a chair from Wythe & Web, sculptor and MassArt faculty member Matthew Hinçman’s (BFA ‘93) public art project outside the Jamaica Plain Branch of the Boston Public Library; one of Emily Eveleth’s (MFA ‘87) iconic donut paintings; a necklace made of recycled cans and pearls by Eunseok Han; a 3D work by painter Lavaughan Jenkins (BFA ‘05); a photograph by Corinne Spencer (BFA ‘10) from series Collective Flesh about “the black feminine body;” and a painting by new auction artist Shannon Finley. For the first time, the Auction will offer NFTs (non-fungible tokens) in connection with the sale of two works by Live Auction artist Johnny Tang and Silent Auction artist Cindy Sherman Bishop (M ’13). The NFTs will be sold as part of the artwork sale, so collectors only need an NFT wallet in order to accept the NFT, an ideal situation for a collector new to NFTs. Six commissions are also included in the Auction such as a set of handmade woodblock printed throw pillows by Anna Pausch (BFA ‘15) and a dog portrait by Doreen Evangeline.
The 33rd Auction Committee is co-chaired by Daren Bascome (‘93 BFA Graphic Design, MassArt Trustee, and Founder of Proverb brand agency) and Elizabeth Lowrey (‘19 Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts, MassArt Foundation Board Member, and Principal and Director of Interior Architecture at Elkus Manfredi Architects). The Auction Committee selected the artwork through a jury process from over 1300 submissions. Auction artists have the choice of contributing 50% or 100% of the sale to MassArt and all proceeds from the event go to MassArt student scholarships and academic programs. The MassArt Auction is the College’s largest fundraising event of the year, having raised over $1 million dollars for the last seven consecutive years. Last year the College debuted a special fundraising component of the Auction called the “Finish Line Fund” to support students in jeopardy of not graduating due to outstanding tuition fees. The fund helped 30 seniors finish their education last year and will continue this year with the goal of supporting even more students.
Full Schedule of Events
The 33rd MassArt Auction: Saturday April 9, 2022
Live Auction in-person and livestream on Bidsquare, 8pm ET
Silent Auction on Bidsquare
March 21, 12 pm – April 10, 2021, 12 pm ET
Public Preview Days Monday, March 21 – Thursday, April 7
Viewings available by appointment:
- Mondays and Thursdays: 3-7pm
- Thursdays and Fridays: 10am-2pm
- Saturdays and Sundays: 2-6pm
Contact auction@massart.edu to schedule an appointment.
For additional information, visit massartauction.org and follow MassArt on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Get the latest Auction updates by following and tagging #massartauction.
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About MassArt
Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) is a public, independent institution that prepares artists, designers, and educators to shape communities, economies, and cultures for the common good. Since 1873, MassArt has built a legacy of leadership as the first freestanding public college of art and design in the country, and the nation’s first art school to grant a degree. MassArt offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate degrees in art, design, and art education, taught by world-class faculty.
