The Ceramic Auction Gala will be on Saturday, March 5th from 7:00pm to 10:00pm in the Concourse Gallery at Emily Carr University.
Tickets to this event will be $10.00
Emily Carr University’s ceramic department will be hosting its bi-annual Ceramic Auction Gala, which will feature donated ceramic work from artists in the community, alumni and students of the department. It is a great opportunity to engage with ceramic art works from established and emerging Vancouver artists. This is a student-run fundraising event where all proceeds raised help support educational field trips and lectures from visiting artists.
I can't quite remember how we raised money for special firings and trips when I was at Emily Carr, but I do recall making work to donate for sales and such, oh, all those many years ago. I've re-connected somewhat with ECU a lot more this year than I have since graduating- partly because Kelly, my studio assistant from last summer, is graduating this year, and I've had the chance to connect with some of her fellow classmates. I think there are a few students who pop by my blog regularly too. So this next bit is for them:)
One of the things about going to art school is that a person has the chance to build his or her skill level, knowledge level, and understand their own aesthetics etc. in an environment that is academic. It's completely different then a business environment. It is really great that in the midst of learning about the materials that no particular monetary value system would be placed on your objects for school purposes, because it gives you a chance to just make art for arts sake. However, the moment an auction or fund-raiser comes up, everyone suddenly starts thinking about the money of it. How much is the object they made worth to people out there? Can I make money making my work? So while these objects have generally been made without a dollar value attached to them- they've rather had an academic value or a material value or a personal value or a time value placed on them, suddenly, in time for an auction and sale, and one is wondering how much money the school can get for that item. It can be seriously dis-heartening this close to graduating from school to have the numbers not add up to one's expectations.
Please know that whatever happens at the auction tomorrow night, that your work may have a different set of 'values' than cold hard cash. The value for you having made that work really can't have a price tag put on it. Especially because you don't know the future of your career as an artist, and how that work might be the 'ground work' for all the rest of your work later on.
I'll hopefully be at the auction, one of my low striped bowls is up for grabs and I'm very much looking forward to seeing a really interesting selection of work!
No comments:
Post a Comment