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.

Civil war in El Salvador fuels love of country

One Salvadoran girl’s story of growing up in 1980s

Abstract: I was born and raised in El Salvador during a Civil War which ended with the signing of a peace treaty when I was ten years old. The historical events that I witnessed have molded me into the person I am now: a fervent patriot, a believer in dialogue, and a lover of politics and development.

I was born in 1982 in San Salvador, El Salvador to a patriotic family who decided to stay in the country despite the hardships brought about by the Civil War that began two years before my birth. When the war started, my father was a member and one of the founders of the country’s only development think tank at the time. He would later be appointed President of the Central Bank becoming directly involved in the government that was struggling to end the war. My mother, with her heart-felt patriotism, supported his excessive work hours. She, also, would later work for the government.

Many of my kindergarten friends and their families fled elsewhere, to countries where dinner conversations were about class field trips office meetings, and soccer games, rather than about emergency kits, bullet shell collections, and political decisions. We stayed.

Lago Coatepeque, my  father's favorite
weekend spot.
Guanacos Online

My parents valued the country in which they were born and raised and in which they had developed endless memories with family and friends. They appreciated the majestic volcanoes and the luxury of having the beach only minutes away from the city. They cherished the characteristic hard-working nature of most Salvadoran and their light-hearted way of celebrating the joys of life. My parents wanted to stay. They were unwilling to give up their right to live in the country they loved. In that context, my brother and I were raised by two role models who continuously elucidated all the wonders that our country had. Thus, from early on, we both learned to sing the national anthem loud and wave our the blue and white flag with pride.

 Izalco Volcano, nicknamed "Lighthouse of the Pacific",
is one of my mother's favorite scenic views.
Efegé

Growing Pains, Lessons Learned

I was born in a war-torn and chaotic city. However, I was blessed to be born to a family with enough resources to live in one of the safer areas of town. My parents were able to give me the best protection considering the circumstances, to provide me with a good education, and to shelter me from much of the horrifying realities occurring in the country. Nevertheless, as hard as they tried, they were unable to shelter me from it all. All around us, conversations were dominated by politics and everyone was more interested in learning the day’s death counts than finding out the weather outside. Television channels were scarce and mostly occupied with crude and blunt news reports. As a child, I saw what war did to a society and I understood how violent humans can be. I also acquired an understanding, far more developed than would be expected of a child, of the role our violent nature can plays in politics. Today every time I confront a decision, consciously or not, I factor this awareness in.

As children, my generation witness stark violence, but also patriotism, sacrifice, and solidarity. As bullets were flying from one side of the city to the other, common, yet bold, citizens were helping the injured and providing hideouts for those in danger. Firm believers of either extreme of the political spectrum were risking their lives in order to defend their values. People were exposing themselves to the enemy in order to advocate for the system in which they believed. As a child, I witnessed how brave people can be. I know that when it comes to their country, their compatriots and their city, people are able to find courage to respond. Today, I keep that in mind as I try to build up courage myself and find ways to help.

The January after I turned nine (1992), I laid in my couch watching how government leaders and guerrilla commanders sat on either extreme of a table and signed a piece of paper in which they both committed to peace. At the end of the ceremony, people on both sides stood up and shook hands. At that point, they were no longer leaders or commanders. They no longer belonged to the government or to the guerrilla groups. That day, they were all Salvadorans. They had reached an agreement, decided to put the war in the past, and work together for the sake of their country. Today, there is still much political and social polarization in the country and, there have been times when it seemed that war might erupt yet again. However, when I witness people differ, in politics or in my personal life, I’m able to remember that dialogue is possible, and more importantly, that it is preferred. I intensely dislike conflict and am always seeking the way to reach an agreement through amiable conversation.

A Child of the War, who became an Adult of Peace

Having been born and raised during a civil conflict marked me significantly and has shaped me into who I am now. I wouldn’t say I was severely traumatized by my childhood environment, but it certainly influenced my interests, my values, and my decisions. The lessons I learned as a result of living through a war guide my daily actions.

My car and my blue and white flag.

Thinking back through the past month, I can identify situations, albeit small, in which those lessons learned have been my guide. Last week, the first of September, I purchased the Salvadoran blue and white flag and proudly attached it to my car window. Independence Day takes place on the September 15th, but my patriotism induces me to celebrate the entire month. The following Monday, I accepted that I can’t always trust my fellow citizens and decided to go home before sundown. The government had just passed a law to penalize gang involvement more severely. I knew, from my childhood days, that when it comes to defending their territory, values, and way of life, humans can be violent.

Furthermore, about a month ago, I heard the President of El Salvador deliver a speech* replete with polarizing messages, alluding unjust gaps in wealth. I was peeved at his divisive intentions and, seeking to vent my distaste, I wrote him a letter*. I did not intend to publish it because it had a few strong points that could be considered offensive. That was until I thought about how necessary it was to defend ones values for the sake of the country and bravely sent it out to get posted. Finally, on a different day this month, I had a strong disagreement with my coworker that impeded the completion of the project and that developed into resentment. Even though I still did not agree with her and was still upset, remembering lessons from the past, I decided to put my pride aside. Hoping to find some consensus, I invited her to a civil discussion of the issue. Every day, whether I’m aware of it or not, my behaviors and reactions are shaped by the way I grew up.

I’m good with numbers; perhaps I would have pursued a career in finance or accounting. However, my surroundings growing up, the fact that my father was involved in politics, and the loud noises that made it hard to fall asleep during so many nights, have infused in me a love for politics, development, and communications as a means to make a difference in the former two. I currently belong to a political organization, CREO*, that seeks to involve youth in national issues and I’m part of a committee that aims to promote corporate social responsibility. At the same time, I’m polishing my communication skills through formal education and practice.

Considering the extent of globalization and professional mobility in the world today, had I been raised in a different environment, I would probably be living and working somewhere geographically distant from home. However, the events and the lessons of my past impelled me to return to live and work in El Salvador after I finished my undergraduate studies in the United States. Living through the war, gave me a sense of patriotism that pulls me back home. Whatever I choose to do next and wherever I opt to go, I’m sure the love I have for my country will always affect my decisions, in the same way that my parent’s decision to stay in El Salvador during the war was affected by their patriotism.

* Source available in Spanish only

Shaped by National Circumstances

Abstract: I was born and raised in El Salvador during a Civil War which ended with the signing of a peace treaty when I was ten years old. The historical events that I witnessed have molded me into the person I am now: a lover of politics and development and a believer in freedom, liberty, peace, and acceptance.

Target Audience: Readers of my personal political blog, as an introduction to the author.

Key Words: childhood, civil war, El Salvador, experiences, peace, war, Raquel, Orellana

I was born in San Salvador, El Salvador to a patriotic family who decided to stay in the country despite the hardships brought about by the Civil War that had begun two years before my birth and that would last ten more. Many of my kindergarten friends and their families fled elsewhere, to countries where dinner conversations were about class fieldtrips, office meetings, and soccer games, rather than about emergency kits, bullet shell collections, and political decisions.

San Salvador was the geographic location of my birth; in terms of socio-economic context, I was blessed to be born to a family with enough resources to live in one of the safer areas of town, to give me the best protection considering the circumstances, to provide me with a good education, and to shelter me from much of the horrifying realities of the country. However, as hard as my parents tried, they weren’t able to protect me from it all.

Having been born and raised during a civil conflict, in which guerilla groups were fighting the government, in which citizens were permanently carrying their guns, in which many fellow nationals lost their lives or their family members, marked me significantly and has shaped me into who I am now. I wouldn’t say I was severely traumatized by my childhood environment, but it certainly influenced my interests, my values, and my decisions. Furthermore, witnessing the peace agreement process at an age of ten, and the subsequent process of reconciliation (which is still ongoing), taught me lessons that I now use to guide my daily actions.

I’m good with numbers; perhaps I would have become interested in pursuing a finance career or a career in accounting. However, my surroundings growing up, the fact that my father was involved in politics, and the loud noises that made it hard to fall asleep during so many nights, have infused in me a love for politics, development, and communications as a means to make a difference in the two former.

Had the situation been different when I was young, or had my family decided to move away, my values would probably be similar to the ones I have now, but they would certainly not have been as firmly rooted and would likely be prioritized differently. My experiences accentuated the value I attribute to freedom, liberty, peace, and acceptance. They have increased my gratitude, brought to light the importance of solidarity and reconciliation, and have given me a clear understanding of the meaning of resilience.

Considering the extent of globalization and professional mobility in the world today, had I been raised in a different environment, I would probably be living and working somewhere geographically distant from home. However, having seen all the hardships that my country went through and how it has slowly been able to recuperate, I decided to return to live and work in El Salvador after I finished my undergraduate education in the United States. Living through the war, gave me a sense of patriotism that pulls me back home. Whatever I choose to do next and wherever I opt to go, I’m sure the love I have for my country will always influence my decisions.

It is impossible to know what, where, and whom I would have been had I grown up elsewhere. What I do know is that spending my childhood in San Salvador marked me in a way that will last for the rest of my life.