Here's a bold statement: Avoid selling traditional art in your live auction, unless you're running an art-only auction. Traditional art pieces -- items like sculptures, paintings, drawings, and mixed media which are produced by a professional artist who makes his or her living from selling artwork - are risky auction items for the standard, non-art benefit auction. It's just too subjective. What I like, you don't. What fits my home décor, doesn't match yours. Art has limited appeal, but we ... Read On >
art
On a personal note: Designing cards, plus-size modeling, and life’s pleasantries
Heads up: This is a personal blog post. Nothing about benefit auctions here. This past summer, Sue Painter, one of my Mastermind friends in Tennessee emailed me via Facebook: "My Sunday paper fell on the floor today and some of the ads fell out," she wrote, "When I leaned over to pick them up, YOU were smiling up at me from a Catherine's insert!" Even though she knew I was a plus-size model, she was excited to suddenly see someone in print whom she recognized. (For those of you just joining ... Read On >
PODCAST: Asking the artist to donate to your benefit auction (Steve Haskamp shares)
Steve Haskamp is a professional artist. He sits in his home studio every day, creating images which are sent to his agent. The agent takes a look at them, determines what that image might become (a card? fabric? pajamas? drapes?), and targets the appropriate buyer (Trader Joe's? Target? a fabric company?). I asked him a few questions about art and benefit auctions. Specifically, I wanted to get his opinion -- as a professional -- on what he likes to donate, when asked.Whether you listen to the ... Read On >
Benefit auction donations from artists (Steve Haskamp shares his perspective)
Meet Steve Haskamp. He's an honest-to-goodness, full-time artist. (He's the creative sort with cool ideas you should add to your benefit auction donations wish list.) If you visit his blog, you'll view his designs which are used on greeting cards at Target, Trader Joe's, children's clothing, books, prints, tote bags, magazines, housewares, and a ton of other stuff. I met Steve through his partner, Dale, who is good friend of mine from college. Steve has one of those jobs I find interesting. ... Read On >