EBS STAFF
The nonprofit Arts Council of Big Sky will host its 13th annual Auction for the Arts on Saturday, Feb. 22, raising money for affordable art education programs in Big Sky.
The annual fundraising gala will be held at the Montage Big Sky hotel, and will include live music, food and drinks, live and silent auctions, a paddle-raise fundraiser and a quick-finish with 10 selected artists whose works will be auctioned live. Anyone can participate in the silent auction, which includes more than 70 works including paintings, photography, jewelry, sculpture. Silent auction bids and event tickets are available online.
“This annual fundraiser for one of Big Sky’s longest running nonprofits has become one of the community’s most anticipated events of the year, and features some of the best local, regional and national artists,” an arts council press release stated. “It’s a great way to support the Arts Council’s mission of enriching the community through artistic experiences, as well as supporting working artists.”
Last year, the auction event raised $238K from 85 sales, plus another $58K in donations.
Proceeds from artwork sales support the arts council’s “contribute-what-you-can” fee structure for local art classes. The press release noted that the arts council’s classroom at BASE teaches more than 1,000 diverse participants annually across various art mediums, and that new classrooms and educational opportunities will be available once the arts council completes its substantial renovation of the former Choppers building into a community arts center.
“Raising additional funds for this program will allow it to thrive,” Arts Council Executive Director Brian Hurlbut stated in the release. “We want to provide access to the arts for everyone, and this program is the best example of that.”
