There are three absentee bidders who will add an element of surprise and mystery to the Two Rivers Gallery's fifth annual live art auction Saturday night at 7:30 p.m.
Just like in the big auction houses in New York where people bid in advance online or bid over the phone, these options spice up the auction action.
"A white hammer has caught the attention of a mystery art lover," said Peter Thompson, managing director at the gallery. The hammer is Clint Neufeld's Estwing Framing Hammer and an absentee bidder has already put a bid on it. An absentee bid has only come in once before and that bidder lost to a live higher bidder. There is a reserve bid on all items that is a little less than half the value of the item, said Thompson.
That doesn't mean the bidder can't be outbid.
A bid is set to a certain limit and as the bidding slows and it looks like it's coming to an end and the amount does not exceed the absentee bid, the auctioneer will announce the bid. It's up to the auctioneer to offer the bid in the increments of the most recent flurry of bids. So if the bids have increased by $20 each time, then the auctioneer will offer the bid $20 higher than the last live bid. People then have the option to bid higher and the absentee bidder can bid up to their limit. If it exceeds the limit, the absentee loses out and that's the disadvantage of being absent. No last-minute impulse bids for the absentee.
Others will do phone-in bids in real time, which adds to the excitement of the bidding, Thompson explained.
"We will have staff on the phone when the lot item comes up and they are taking instructions live, in real time, on the phone," said Thompson.
There is plenty of variety in the items on the auction block.
"There is something there for every taste, there's some avant garde, a bit of three dimensional work and all the artists have a connection to the gallery or the community of Prince George," said Thompson. "Many of the artists have exhibited here in the past and some are in our permanent collection and some are artists who have exhibited here and teach classes in the gallery or in the city. So it's a community of artists, not just a random selection."
After the live auction there is a silent auction so there is something available for every budget and taste, said Thompson. The live auction offers things valued from under $200 up to over $5,000 and the silent auction items range from $20 to $200.
"So the evening unfolds with people signing in and getting their paddle, they have time to get a glass of wine and to mingle and chat and plot their strategies," said Thompson. "Then the auction starts with a fun game. The auctioneer will do a play auction where people can bid on a print of a Picasso or Rembrandt that everybody recognizes as famous and costs hundreds of millions of dollars and the bidding goes up to hundreds of millions but, of course, it's with fun dollars."
The auction then begins officially and there are 22 pieces that will be sold live. That will take about an hour and fifteen minutes, he added.
"It's really remarkably exciting," said Thompson. "I hadn't been an auction goer but over the years I have developed quite a taste for auctions."
Then after the live art auction there will be more time given to browse the silent auction items.
"Have another glass of wine to drown your regrets of not getting all the pieces you wanted," laughed Thompson.
All works are available for viewing in person at the gallery or in the online gallery (http://www.tworiversgallery.ca/component/igallery/live-art-auction-2013.html).
Tickets are $25 each or $40 per pair. For more information call 250-614-7800.
