On Saturday, February 6, the Laguna Art Museum hosted its 34th annual “California Cool” auction and fundraiser. Gorgeous art was exhibited and sold while total proceeds smashed records. What was the final number?
The highlight of an evening at the Laguna Art Museum on February 6 was the much anticipated 20-item live auction, which realized over $200,000 in sales. Along with the generous donations of patrons and connoisseurs, as well as a silent auction, the “California Cool” event saw a 25 percent jump in total proceeds — making it the most successful art auction to date for the institution.
Via the museum’s press release: “Art Auction 2016: California Cool’s silent auction component featured an additional 91 museum-curated works of art and was also highly successful with over $125,000 in sales. Results show that 88% of all offered artworks sold, which is a 5-10% increase from previous years. From February 8 to 14, unsold works from the auction will be available for purchase at their minimum bid price (50% of stated value). The works can be viewed online here.
“In addition to art, the nearly 400 guests enjoyed the culinary talents of West Coast Event Productions, wine by Wine Gallery, and desserts by Simply Sweet Cakery, served alongside specialty coffee and teas provided by Urth Caffé. The evening’s cool ambience featured floral design by Laguna Nursery; event lighting and production by The Showpros Group; and upbeat music throughout the night. Attendees had the chance to mingle with fellow collectors, the museum’s curators, executive director Malcolm Warner, and 37 of the featured artists including Márton Váró, Eric Nash, Danny Heller, Mary-Austin Klein, and Eric Gerdau.
“The Art Auction 2016 team was led by co-chairs Sara Heeschen and Deborah Lake; committee members Tina Cook, Jeannie Denholm, Ruben Flores, Vanessa Helin, Lauren MacLaughlin-Brinker, Karen Morally; and Director of Special Events Sarah Strozza. Laguna Art Museum’s annual Art Auction has become one of Orange County’s most exciting art and social experiences. This event is a major annual fundraiser for the museum’s exhibitions and education programs.”
To learn more, visit the Laguna Art Museum.
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