Day: February 16, 2018

Say Hello to Your Patrons’ Show MCs

Patrons’ Show 2016

This Sunday, Oscar Santana and Robb Spewak will be at the mic leading hundreds of people through the adventure known as the Patrons’ Show Fundraiser. That’s right — they’ll be calling your name as this year’s Patrons’ Show MCs!

You might recognize Robb and Oscar from the Mike O’Meara Show, where they entertain listeners daily with discussions of their lives, pop culture, and the news.

Since they’re both Patron’s Show pros at this point, we asked them to help us get everyone pumped up for this Sunday’s event by sharing their tips and stories. (This will be the second time hosting for each of them, and their first time teaming up!)

Oscar Santana

Tip #1: Get involved

How’d we snag these two, anyway?

“A handful of my friends have been going to the show for about 6 or 7 years,” Oscar told us. He’d see beautiful pieces of art in their home, and eventually he asked them about it:

“That must have cost a fortune.”
“No, see, they have this event every year…”

Once Oscar started attending as well, a volunteer recognized him and we heard him talk about the show on the air. It didn’t take long for us to invite him to be the host.

“Of course I said yes, because the event rules.”

Tip #2: Go digital

As a 5th year attendee, Oscar’s favorite moment has been watching the evolution in people’s list-making methodologies: from clipboards, to posters, to spreadsheets, to the public debut of the Art Thief app three years ago.

“That’s the geek in me,” he said.

A bonus side effect of so many people using the app: everything goes more smoothly and quickly.

Tip #3: Everyone wins

Oscar’s stage name is Oscar Santana, but his given family name is Zeballos, so he’s used to getting called last. That said, he’s hoping to get one of his top 10 picks.

Still, he’s not stressing out. Every piece from past shows is hanging is his home, even if it wasn’t a number one pick. “Whether you pick first or last … I tell everyone, you win. You’ll actually get a piece of art.”

Tip #4: Be patient, be informed, be entertained

Oscar’s number one tip? Listen for your name and don’t worry so much how it’s pronounced.

If you pay attention, you’ll have an easier time picking your piece when your name is called — and you’ll have more fun.

Tickets are still available for this Sunday’s Patrons’ Show Fundraiser!

Events

First Time at Patrons’ Show?

 

Patrons' Show Pointers

The Patrons’ Show Fundraiser is a lot of fun. It also takes a little work.

So if you’re attending for the very first time on Sunday, we want to help you prepare! Here are our tips for first-time patrons. (It’s impossible to fully describe the experience, but we’ve done our best.)

The basics

You already have your ticket. Here’s how things will go down on Sunday:

  • Show up early. The gallery will open at 10:00 am, and the drawing starts promptly at 4:00 pm — be sure to be seated by then!
  • This year, the building will close from 2:00–3:00 pm. The gallery closes at 3:45.
  • Ticket holder names are drawn and called in a random order.
  • When you hear your name, call out the number of the artwork you want, loudly and clearly. Staff with walkie-talkies will be nearby to relay your selection to the nerve center on the first floor. Congratulations!
  • Keep track of what’s already been taken. These numbers will be announced over the PA and shown on the projection.
  • Stay seated until the break. If you’ve chosen your artwork, the break is your time to go grab it and “check out” at the computers. If you’re still waiting to hear your name, this is your chance to review your list and get psyched up for the next round.

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! That’s why you’ve seen those huge lists other people are preparing.

  • We recommend making a list at least 100 works long. Many people have much longer lists!
  • There are a number of tools to help you:
  • 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 children 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 in the gallery up until 1:00 pm Sunday.

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.

Events