On June 8, 2013, the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) in Raleigh, NC, hosts its third annual Art of the Auction, a benefit that supports the NCMA Foundation. A silent auction features juried works by more than 70 local artists as well as items that reflect the Museum’s collection and exhibitions. A live auction, led by auctioneer Ben Farrell, features one-of-a-kind experiences, works of art, and other exclusive packages.
Part of the night is dedicated to “Fund the Future,” a special paddle raise that invites attendees to offer donations for the Museum’s education department, exhibitions, and other programming. The event also includes hors d’oeuvres, a full bar, and a signature cocktail, all catered by the Museum’s Iris restaurant, as well as a DJ. Visitors to the Museum can view all auction items during the Auction Preview Party on May 17, 2013, free to the public, during which winners of a juried competition will be announced. The items will be on display until the auction on June 8, 2013. One work of art will be chosen by distinguished Asheville, NC, artist Hoss Haley as Best in Show, earning $3,000 and inclusion in the live auction. Two additional cash prizes will be awarded to artists whose work the jurors consider exceptional.
Highlights of the silent and live auctions include:
Weddings and events
Auction attendees can bid on the Matrimonial Masterpiece, a wedding ceremony and reception package at the NCMA. The turnkey wedding event, which can also be used for a corporate or other event at the Museum, includes bar service, heavy hors d’oeuvres, a custom wedding cake, a floral package, linens, DJ, and planning services.
Food and wine experiences
“A Fine Wine Takes Time,” an at-home wine-tasting party for up to 12 people, features a Wine Authorities expert along with artisan cheeses, salami, olives, crackers, and eight wines to sample.
Winners of the “Plein-Air Romance” package are invited to a romantic dinner for two in the secluded North Courtyard at the NCMA with a three-course meal provided by Iris restaurant.
Those with a sweet tooth can bid on “Let Them Eat Art!”, a two-tier cake, custom designed and hand painted by NCMA Executive Pastry Chef Jennifer Hicks, that serves up to 20 people.
The “Twilight Dinner Party and Tour” for 10 with Larry Wheeler package is a private evening hosted by Museum Director Larry Wheeler with a sunset cocktail hour in the Rodin sculpture garden, a personalized tour, and a three-course dinner.
The Travel category, below, has details on a wine-tasting trip to Napa Valley.
Luxury fashion items
Bidders can win four tickets and backstage passes to the Wes Gordon Fashion Show during New York Fashion Week. This is Wes Gordon’s first runway show, and tickets are not for sale to the public.
Fashion lovers can also bid on two tickets to the Raleigh Denim Presentation at New York Fashion Week, which includes a sneak peek backstage. The winner also receives two pairs of Raleigh Denim jeans.
Other fashion items include custom-designed fashion pieces from Raleigh Fashion Worx designers, a Holly Aiken bag, and jewelry designed by William Travis.
Porsche items and experiences: Several auction experiences, items, and packages relate to the Museum’s upcoming exhibition Porsche by Design: Seducing Speed.
Attendees can bid on a Virginia International Raceway (VIR) membership, which includes a $3,000 initiation fee and full year of monthly dues, or a VIR package, which includes dinner for two, a spa experience, one night’s lodging, and VIR box seats.
Those interested in classic rock and roll can bid on an exclusive viewing of the installation of Janis Joplin’s iconic Porsche in the Museum’s West Building for the Porsche by Design exhibition.
Other Porsche items include a Porsche 917 Salzburg Chronograph Limited Edition Watch and a boudoir photo shoot with a Porsche automobile with Story Photographers.
Arts, crafts, and architecture items and experiences
Exclusive tours of several local artists’ studios—potter Mark Hewitt, painter Page Laughlin, and mixed-media artist Stacy Lynn Waddell—are up for bid, along with a pot by award-winning potter Ben Owen III.
Shen Wei, of Shen Wei Dance Arts, selected and signed a one-of-a-kind abstract painting created by dancers during performances last summer at the Museum (The Art of Shen Wei).
Attendees interested in architecture may bid on “Allure of Architecture”, an overnight trip to South Carolina’s Auldbrass Plantation, which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and is open to the public only two days every two years.
Over 75 other works of art are up for bid, including works by Ben Galata, Annie Wharton, and John Rosenthal, as well as the juried “Best of Show” winning work. Participating artists include: Sampada Agarwal, Katherine Armacost, Harriet Bellows, Carson Boone, Elke Brand, Kristalyn Bunyan, Jarrett Burch, Jean Chevalier, Jen Coon, Annie Cramer, Heather Evans Smith, James Fanjoy Labrenz, Kiki Farish, Madlyn Ferraro, Melinda Fine, Anne Fiske, Ross Ford, Paul Gala, Andrew Giovinazzo, Jillian Goldberg, Jim Haberman, Murry Handler, KG Hunter, Bailey Hurt, Jose Jimenez, Isaiah Johnson, Natasha Johnson, Gregg Kemp, Joyce Watkins King, Trish Klenow, Billie Mann, Carolyn Martens, Suellen McCrary, Gail H. McIntosh, Trena McNabb, Kelsey Melville, Jean Gray Mohs, Wendy Musser, Thu Nguyen, Constance Pappalardo, Madonna Phillips, Holden Richards, Karen Rose, Eric Saunders, Laura Sellers, Jonathan Sherrill, Julia Silbermann, Julia Staples, Russell Trent, Barbara Tyroler, Saksit Usawanatsakun, David Vanderlaan, Jessica C. White, Danielle Suhrland Wilcox, Dall Wilson, Angela Zappala, Giuseppe Zappala, Andre Rain, Brendan Dacey, Jimmy Black, TRUE David, Paris Alexander, Ivey Blair, Tiffany Coley, Mark Gordon, Phil Hathcock, Scott Hazard, Renee Leverty, Carol S. McReynolds, Nancy Raasch, Eric Serritella, Madelyn Smoak, Renee Snell, Alison Sobel-Read, Scott Stockdale, Sarah Tector, Dina Wilde-Ramsing, Phil Morgan, Ben Owen III, Ben Galata, Matt Christie, William Travis, Shen Wei Dancers, Annie Wharton, John Rosenthal, Zac Schel, Keely Cansler, and Anthony Wilson.
Music experiences: The auction includes a selection of music-themed experiences and parties, many with a special catered meal.
“Bluegrass and Barbecue” is a dinner-music combo for up to 25 guests, featuring a picnic-style gourmet barbecue spread, local beer, wine pairings, and a live bluegrass performance by the Hey Brothers.
Winners of the “Concert Cookout” can enjoy a summer evening on the VIP patio at the Museum Park Theater while watching a movie-music combo (Dale Watson concert followed by Bernie or Lost Bayou Ramblers concert followed by Beasts of the Southern Wild) and eating an Iris-catered cookout dinner.
Travel experience: An unforgettable travel experience is up for bid during the live auction.
The winner of “The Art of the Vine” receives a stay at Meadowood Napa Valley resort, wine tastings and tours at Ma(i)sonry manor and other wineries, a bottle of wine, and a luxury stay at the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco.
The North Carolina Museum of Art’s permanent collection spans more than 5,000 years, from ancient Egypt to the present, making the institution one of the premier art museums in the South. The Museum’s collection provides educational, aesthetic, intellectual, and cultural experiences for the citizens of North Carolina and beyond. The 164-acre Museum Park showcases the connection between art and nature through site-specific works of environmental art. The Museum offers changing national touring exhibitions, classes, lectures, family activities, films, and concerts. The Museum opened West Building in 2010, home to the permanent collection. The North Carolina Museum of Art, Lawrence J. Wheeler, director, is located at 2110 Blue Ridge Road in Raleigh. It is the art museum of the State of North Carolina, Pat McCrory, governor, and an agency of the Department of Cultural Resources, Susan Kluttz, secretary.
For further information call the Museum at 919/839-6262 or visit (www.ncartmuseum.org).









