SUMARTE 2010, art lovers contribute to the museum and add to their private collections

Seventh annual art auction raises thousands for local art museum

 By: Raquel Orellana

      Staff Reporter

Last Thursday night, the art museum, MARTE, hosted its annual art auction, SUMARTE. The auction is the museum’s largest fundraiser, and it is considered by local art lovers to be a good opportunity to buy art. During more than three hours, about 200 aficionados used their paddles to bid for their favorite works of art, from the 88 that were auctioned.

The Museum has not disclosed the amount of funds raised. However, most pieces that were publicly auctioned, were bought for more than their asking prices.  The event included pieces with estimate worths of (or asking prices) between US$400 to US$10,000.  The sum of all the asking prices was about US$300,000.

“The auction is a great opportunity for new artists to make their work known, for art collectors to buy exquisite art at good prices, and for the Museum to raise funds for its maintenance” said Regina Cabrero, a member of the SUMARTE organizing committee. “Additionally, being a highly visible event, it supports MARTE’s mission to disseminate the country’s artistic patrimony.”

Although the organizers said they would have liked to see greater attendance, they said they were glad that a significant number of bidders and even buyers were younger than they have been other years. “This is comforting because it means that a new generation of collectors is emerging,” Cabrero said.

There were also many new and young faces among the participating artists. For up-and-coming artists in the past, the auction has been an opportunity to make their debut and launch their artistic careers. “The event provides a space for young artists to participate and present their work,” comments Roxana de Perez, art historian and expert. “It opens for them a door into the artistic world, which would otherwise be very difficult to enter”.

Among these artists, seven receive awards that add to their recognition and increases the value of their work. This year’s winners were:

• Ernesto Bautista, first place
• Melissa Guevara*, second place
• Oscar Soles*, third place
• Mayra Barraza, honorable mention
• Giovanni Gil*, honorable mention
• Mauricio Kabistán, honorable mention
• Amber Rose, honorable mention

The awards are conferred by three international judges who evaluate technique and conceptual value. The organizing committee selected three artists, that they consider reputable, to do the job: Adán Valencillos* (Honduran), Clara Astiasarán* (Cuban), and Jorge Palomo* (El Salvador).

 “I’ve wanted to purchase my next piece for a while, but I decided to wait for the Auction,” mentions David Bloch, a relatively new collector. “I’m glad I did, I bought a much better piece than I would have elsewhere”.

Cabrero mentioned that SUMARTE has become essential for the museum's continuation.  The museum has three sources of income: personal and corporate donations, visitor tickets, and fundraisers. "The Auction is by far the largest fundraiser of the year", said Cabrero, "which has become an annual tradition". While funds from donations and tickets are used for the museums maintenance and administration, the money raised through fundraisers is mostly used to fund educational programs at the Museum. The Museum hosts guided tours for school children, organizes art workshops for teachers, weekend workshops for children, conferences, and other events. The funding needs are significant, but these projects they are an effective magnet to attract visitors, said Cabrero.

“The plan is to continue with this tradition, aiming to maintain the quality and prestige of the of the auction year after year,” explained Cabrero.

Selecting the Artwork to be Auctioned

Organizers know that SUMARTE has an important impact on Marte’s reputation. Therefore, much time is dedicated to the selection of the art that will be auctioned. The selection process of the eighty-eight pieces varies depending on which of the three categories they are in:

• Selected Artists – Usually new or up-coming artists who voluntarily submit their art to be considered for the auction. Their work is then evaluated by three international judges who select those that will be auctioned.
• Committee Nominees – Artists who’s art has been deemed worthy of participating by the SUMARTE organizing committee. Their artists are not subject to the judges’ evaluation.
• Guest Artists – Renown artists who are personally invited to participate.

Artists are national and international and they donate a portion of the selling price to the museum.

The Mechanics of an Auction

SUMARTE is a English, or ascending price, auction, which involves the following steps:

• The selected art is exhibited at the Museum during two weeks, for the public to see.
• A few days before the event, the organizing committee distributes the list of asking prices.
• On the night of the event, each participant receives a paddle with an identifying number.
• During the auction, the public sits silently with their paddles ready to raise them when the auctioneer brings out the pieces of their choice.
• The bidding for each piece begins at the asking price and it is called out in increments of one hundred.
• After each price announcement, people willing to pay it raise their paddles.
• When the price is high enough that only one paddle is raised, that person takes the piece.
• People who are not able to attend, can participate through absentee bidding for which they indicate the highest price they are willing to pay and someone else represents them.

* Only Spanish version available.
** Fair market value refers to the estimated price for which a piece would be sold in an art gallery or for which comparable artworks have been sold.

Audience:

The article is intended for publishing in the culture section of one of El Salvador’s main newspaper’s Web Site. The intended audience is local people who are interested in cultural events and art, including artists, collectors, and others. Secondary audiences include the participating artists (seeking to see if their work was mentioned) and artists and collectors from other countries in the region who like to be informed about what others are doing in the arts.

Sources Used:

• Interviews
• Regina Cabrero – collaborator at the Art Museum and member of the SUMARTE organizing committee.
• Roxana de Perez – Art historian, expert, and lover. She has attended all editions of SUMARTE as well as many other similar auctions.
• David Bloch - Young professional with an interest in art. He attended this year’s auction and purchased a piece.
• I talked to one more member of the SUMARTE organizing committee but only casually (not a formal interview).
• I spoke with a few more people who attended the event to know their perception (also informally)

• Digital Sources:
• Martes website: www.marte.org.sv
• SUMARTE 2010 Catalogue: http://issuu.com/claudiaolmedo/docs/catalogo_sumarte_310810_ver?mode=embed&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml
• The list of asking prices
• Websites about individual artists and judges that were used as links, for readers who want additional information.

I attempted to contact, but couldn’t:

• Beatriz Sánchez, one of the Selected Artists
• Ana Julia Álvarez, a Salvadoran Guest Artist

Questions I asked during the interviews:

- Regina Cabrero:

• Job and/or relationships to the museum
• How long have you been involved in the museum?
• What role do you play in SUMARTE?
• Have you ever participated in the auction as a buyer?
• When was the first SUMARTE held?
• How much money was raised this year?
• What are the funds used for?
• What do the different categories of artists mean?
• How many people attended this year’s auction?
• What was your perception of the bidders’ level of enthusiasm this year?
• How did the bid go this year compared to last?
• What role do the judges play?
• What was your favorite piece in the auction?

- Roxana de Pérez

• Where and what did you study?
• How are you involved in art?
• What was your impression of SUMARTE 2010?
• What was your impression of the judge’s choices for awards?
• Would you have given the awards to different artists? Which and why?
• What did you think of the work sent by guest artists?
• What was your favorite piece?
• Is there a piece that impressed you (in a good or a bad way)?
• Had you been to a SUMARTE before? How many times?
• How many other art auctions have you been to?
• How does SUMARTE compare to other art auctions that you have been to?
• What benefits does the auction bring?

- David Bloch:

• How old are you?
• Would you call yourself an art collector?
• When did you start buying art?
• What did you think of SUMARTE 2010?
• What was your impression of the selected pieces?
• What was your impression of the rest of the bidders?
• Did you buy anything?
• Was that the only piece you had eyed?
• Was what you pay more or less what you expected to pay?
• Do you think SUMARTE provides a good opportunity for art collectors?

Facts I checked:

• Number of pieces of art in the auction
• Asking prices
• History of the auction (number of times it has been held)
• Names of artists who received awards

Additional features for publishing online:

• Poll regarding the awards (do people agree with who received them)
• A fact box describing who the judges were
• A video of a part of the auction itself to include in the section that describes the mechanism used
• A slideshow of the art (which would make it easier for the reader than having to go to the link)
• Pictures of the pieces that received awards (however, it would be important to make sure that this does not infringe copyright laws).