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Stylish auction comes to aid of local arts community

UNION SQUARE — San Francisco’s Clift Hotel provided a stylish setting of modern luxury and eccentric energy for local art collectors Thursday evening who invested money and awareness into the city’s arts community.

Visual Aid and Academy of Friends came together for its 4th Annual Art Auction that featured more than 40 artworks and other items donated by popular local artists. The proceeds from the auction were split between the two organizations’ programs: Visual Aid supports artists with life-threatening illnesses, and the Academy of Friends helps HIV/ AIDS service organizations.

Elisabeth Loeffler, executive director of the Academy of Friends, said the event marks a unique collaboration between the two organizations. “It’s a special meld of the two groups, of both supporters and art lovers,” she said.

The evening began with an anxious browsing of the artwork and items to be auctioned. Featured works included contributions from such prominent Bay Area artists as Jo Jackson, Gustavo Rivera, Inez Storer, Gary Denmark, Jim Winters, Elena Zolotnitsky and so many other local visionaries. Non-art items on the auction block included the last available bottle of 1985 Hahn Estates Cabernet (opening bid starting at $800) and a pair of business class tickets from San Francisco to anywhere in Europe (starting at $10,000).

Visual Aid board member Stephen Tourell, of Toomey Tourell Fine Art, enlivened the evening with his humor and charm as the event’s auctioneer, giving guests a nudge to bid with their hearts. “Now, if you don’t feel comfortable to bid on an item yourself, just turn to your extroverted neighbor and have your friend bid for you!” Tourell said in his opening remarks.

One of the artworks that turned many a head in the audience belonged to the visually aggressive and politically charged Clinton Fein, clintonfein.com, whose archival ink jet print, “Who Would Jesus Torture?”, fetched $900 from a bidder. “The work he does is always the talk of the event,” stated Visual Aid Executive Director Julie Blankenship prior to the auction.

Fein, whose work is represented by Toomey Tourell Fine Art, said Visual Aid and Academy of Friends are among the top charitable organizations in the city that he enjoys supporting most. “I’m a big supporter of these two,” he said. “There is an incredible outpour of talent here that transforms people’s lives.”

The Clift Hotel is located at 495 Geary Street. Learn more about the Academy of Friends at academyoffriends.org, and Visual Aid at visualaid.org.