Arts Extra! San Francisco

DOWNTOWN —- Visual Aid and Academy of Friends held their 6th annual Spring Art Auction and Fundraiser at Mezzanine on May 22nd. Anticipating an ultra cool cocktail reception mixed with vibrant art, visitors arrived to the auction and fundraiser to preview artwork produced by some of the city’s most talented artists.

Celebrity auctioneer Stephen Tourell of Toomey-Tourell Fine Art led a lively auction of more than $150,000 of fine art, rare luxury goods, and exotic holiday travel. Proceeds from the event were raised to support Visual Aid’s programs for artists with life-threatening illnesses and 15 Academy of Friends-designated HIV/AIDS service organizations.

Addressing the crowd of eager investors, Tourell assured art patrons that the list of artwork presented at the event would make their bidding decisions easier. “We can turn inward and raise money for those we can reach out to and touch — not worrying about the big picture, but worrying about our picture here in San Francisco,” said Tourell, who is also a member of Visual Aid’s board of directors. “And nothing does a better job of this than these two organizations.”

Visual Aid executive director Julie Blankenship said she always looks forward to working with Academy of Friends on this annual auction. She acknowledged all the artists and volunteers who contributed to the success of the event. “It makes me so proud to be part of this community,” said Blankenship. “And the art community is very giving — really knowing how to give what they have with the artwork they make.”

Steven Lopez, director of Charles Campbell Gallery, said he was excited to bid on a painting that his own gallery had donated to the auction. “I tend to go for things in these venues where I can be a little more out there than what I traditionally collect and buy,” Lopez said. “So I can go for emerging artists and beginning artists and spend between two and five hundred dollars. I’m just as happy spending that as I am spending ten thousand, because it is about the art and the experience.”

Academy of Friends board member Howard Edelman said everyone at the event was in a great frame of mind to raise money in support of HIV/AIDS services. “Everyone really seemed to enjoy themselves while buying some fantastic pieces of artwork,” he said. “It’s truly amazing how people reached into their pockets to help AIDS organizations and pay sometimes more than the appraised value for items.”

One Visual Aid artist, Michael Beck, said that most of the artwork even went a couple hundred dollars over the starting bid of half price. In addition to being more free with their money at a charity event, patrons found the framed artwork to be an added bonus to their investment. “To realize that these pictures are framed as well generates more excitement to the bidding activity,” Beck said. “The framing is donated by a framing company here in the city, which is pretty unusual.” Beck also noted that framing may cost up to an additional $400 when having it done archivally, that is, when matching museum preservation standards.

Another bonus of this year’s spring auction was the new venue. Housed in a historic two-story warehouse, Mezzanine features a large expanse of unobstructed wall space, soaring ceilings and immense skylights. Glenn Stoller, a 13-year volunteer for Visual Aid, compared the setting to previously-held fundraisers at the Clift Hotel. “I think it’s a lot more fun than the Clift,” he said. “The space is so much more wide open which lends to people’s comfort level in previewing and bidding on the artwork.”

Spinning upbeat, down-tempo music at the fundraiser, DJ Snuggythugg, aka Jeff Stallings, made his debut at the art auction with a special euro-blend of chillout music. “It’s got a beat that keeps your toes tapping,” he explained. “It’s smooth and creamy, but not the kind of club music that takes your mind away from the event.”

The auction featured work by artists Masami Teraoka, Timothy Cummings, Michael Beck, Stephen DeStaebler, Jil Weinstock, Enrique Chagoya, Sandow Berk, Robin Denevan, Monica Denevan, Clinton Fein, and many others.

Galleries who donated artwork include Ames Gallery, Andrea Schwartz Gallery, ArtHaus, Aurobora Press, Bucheon Gallery, Catharine Clark Gallery, Cecile Moochnek Gallery, Charles Campbell Gallery, Claudia Chapline Contemporary Art, Dolby Chadwick Gallery, Don Soker Contemporary Art, Electric Works, Fraenkel Gallery, Gregory Lind Gallery, Jack Fischer Gallery, Linc Art, Robert Koch Gallery, Takada Gallery, Toomey Tourell Fine Art, and Varnish Fine Art.

Both Academy of Friends and Visual Aid are recognized leaders in the not-for-profit community for raising money, awareness and support for Bay Area individuals living and working with HIV and AIDS. “Together, our organizations make a formidable pair in raising much needed funding for those in need,” said Academy of Friends chair Alan Keith.

For more information on these organizations, visit visualaid.org and academyoffriends.org. Mezzanine is at 444 Jessie Street and can be found online at mezzaninesf.com.

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View more photos from Arts Extra! at flickr.com/photos/artsextra.

All photos by Jamie Windborne unless otherwise noted. Copyright (C) 2007 Jamie Windborne, www.artsextra.com. All rights reserved.