Day: January 12, 2018

Announcing Over $21,000 in Awards For Patrons’ Show Donors

Artists: Our biggest fundraiser of the year is coming up, and we need your help! Read on for details on why, and how, to donate to the 50th Anniversary Patrons’ Show Fundraiser.

Who will take home your artwork?

The Patrons’ Show Fundraiser is The Art League’s biggest event of the year, making it possible for us to meet our mission: by nurturing the artist, we enrich the community. This year’s event is special: it’s the 50th anniversary Patrons’ Show Fundraiser!

Our success depends on our generous artist donors! For each piece of artwork donated (valued at $225 or more), we can sell one ticket to the Patrons’ Show Fundraiser. For more about the fundraiser, visit our website.

Why should I donate?

Thousands of dollars in prize money is available for artists—more than double last year’s:

  • $5,000: Clemente Best in Show for Contemporary Realism*
  • $3,500: Clemente Faculty Award (Art League faculty are eligible)*
  • $3,000: Collector Award (first artwork chosen in the drawing)
  • $3,000: Collector Award (second artwork chosen in the drawing)
  • $3,000: Collector Award (third artwork chosen in the drawing)
  • $2,000: The Patrons’ Show Brenda Bunn Kollman Award for Best in Show for 3D Artwork*
  • $1,000: TFAA Artist Award (TFAA artists are eligible)*
  • $400: Van Landingham Award*
  • $250: Geri Gordon Award (first choice raffle award)

*Chosen by the Patrons’ Show judge. To be eligible for these awards, artwork must be donated by Monday, February 5, 2018. If you will be donating unframed work as well as framed pieces, make sure they are donated well ahead of time so they can be framed for judging.

And all participating artists are eligible to win multiple awards!

The Brenda Bunn Kollman Award for 3D Artwork, new this year, is in honor and memory of Brenda (Townsend) Kollman, an Art League member artist for 14 years and an established Torpedo Factory Artist for 15 years. The amount is $2,000 for the 50th anniversary year and will be $1,500 in subsequent years. The award is sponsored by Brenda’s husband, Jerry Kollman.

Did we mention that hundreds of Patrons’ Show Fundraiser ticketholders (and non-ticketholders) will view your artwork online, in person, and in the app?

Details from the six award winning artworks in 2017. This year there will be eight!

What are we raising funds for?

The Patrons’ Show Fundraiser is critical to ensuring The Art League is able to fulfill its mission each year. Funds go to:

The Art League is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, which means that your donation is tax-deductible. Currently, the IRS allows artists to deduct only the cost of materials used in donated artwork, not the artwork’s full value.

How to donate

Simply bring your framed, ready-to-hang artwork to The Art League gallery during regular hours (these may be affected by Torpedo Factory closures):

  • Monday–Saturday, 10:00 am–6:00 pm
  • Thursdays until 9:00 pm
  • Sunday, 12:00 noon–6:00 pm

Artists who contribute two or more framed works may also donate unframed works. We also need donations of frames and glass that are 16″ x 20″ or larger.

If you’d like to donate artwork currently in our gallery, please contact us ([email protected]) and we’ll take care of it!

Important dates

  • Saturday, January 13: Tickets go on sale, online only
  • Monday, February 5: Deadline for artwork to be eligible for awards
  • Sunday, February 18: The Patrons’ Show Fundraiser drawing
Artist Opportunities

Ready for the Patrons’ Show Fundraiser?

Tickets are now on sale for the 50th Anniversary Patrons’ Show Fundraiser!

If you’ve been before, reading that sentence was like hearing Santa on the rooftop. But if you don’t know about Patrons’ Show, here’s a short guide to our biggest event of the year.

Important dates

  • Tickets go on sale: Saturday, January 13, 2018 at 10:00 am (purchase tickets online)
  • Drawing: Sunday, February 18, 2018 at 4:00 pm

Buy tickets on Eventbrite

The big idea

The Patrons’ Show Fundraiser is all about taking home artwork at a bargain price while having a lot of fun. You pay $225 for a ticket that guarantees you one artwork worth at least $225. This is The Art League’s biggest fundraiser, supporting our gallery and outreach programs.

Some of last year’s artwork.

The basics

Once you’ve got your tickets, here’s how things will go down:

  1. Preparation: Artwork images are posted online and on the Art Thief app, and the artwork itself is displayed in our gallery. Make a list of your favorites, a minimum of 100 pieces long! See below for tips.
  2. The drawing: Ticket holder names are drawn and called in a random order. When you hear your name, call out the number (not the title or artist) of the artwork you want, loudly and clearly. Congratulations!
Using the Art Thief app.

How to prepare

As you can tell, it’s not enough to just pick your favorite — it might be gone by the time we get to your name!

  • There are a number of tools to help you make your list:
    • The latest program (a list of artwork numbers, titles, and artists, available in PDF or Excel) will be posted closer to the event on the main Patrons’ Show page
    • Every piece will have a photo in the 2018 Flickr album
    • The Art Thief app makes organizing a snap (free on the App Store and Google Play)
  • Before you finalize your list, make sure to view all the artwork in person in the gallery. After all, it’s the artwork that will be hanging in your home — not the photo of the artwork!
  • If you’re using the app, be sure to update one last time before you leave home on Sunday. There’s no public wifi in the building, and data might be iffy.
    • You can email your list to yourself (Options → Email List) as a backup.

Enjoy yourself

The Patrons’ Show Fundraiser has been described as a block party. Here are some guidelines for an enjoyable experience:

  • Refreshments are welcome. Please keep your coolers small enough to fit under a chair, and please — no tables, other furniture, or food deliveries.
  • Unfortunately, there is no room for babies or pets. They wouldn’t have a good time, anyway: it gets crowded and noisy.
  • On that note, please keep your conversations at a low volume. It’s important to make sure people can hear the announcements, names, and numbers being called out.
  • Please remain seated until the announced breaks.
  • Be kind to your neighbors.

Don’t miss out

The main drawing isn’t the only fun to be had!

First choice raffle: The first choice raffle is a separate drawing that happens just before the main event. When you buy a ticket, you mark the piece you want most of all. A single ticket is drawn at 4:00 pm, and the piece marked on it is set aside for that lucky person to pick up! You do not need a regular Patrons’ Show ticket to participate.

Raffle tickets are $15 each or two for $25, available for purchase online until February 16 in the gallery up until 1:00 pm on the day of the event.

After-auction: There will be a few pieces left over at the end of the drawing. Join us immediately after for the aptly named after-auction, where you can get more artwork for a steal! You’ll register for a paddle and bid on artworks just like in a regular auction.

Door prizes: The last few names called each round get special prizes!

Questions

Any questions we didn’t answer? We want to make your first Patrons’ Show experience a good one! Call us at 703-683-1780 to get in touch.

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