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Auctioning off art at The Wellin

By Helen Sternberg ’20

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As Fallcoming & Family Weekend quickly approaches, the Wellin Museum Initiative for Student Engagement (WISE) has begun preparations for their Annual Student Art Auction. Returning for its second year, the auction allows any student, regardless of major, to submit artwork that will be sold.
WISE will give 50 percent of proceeds to the artists. The other half of the proceeds is donated to the Olympics of the Visual Arts Program (OVA), which the New York State Art Teachers Association (NYSTA) runs. The NYSTA is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the cause of education in art.
WISE, an organization that started the same year the museum opened, hosted its first auction last year. In the coming years, WISE hopes to only grow in relevance and recognition by the community, as it was well received in its initial form.
“The first year that we did the art auction was last year, and it was kind of small, but we made some money and got submissions. We sold about 500-dollars-worth of stuff, and some people charged up to 250 dollars for their work,” Julia Dailey ’18, one of the event coordinators, said. “Hopefully we’re going to get more [artwork] this year.”
The Student Art Action has very few guidelines. Any student is able to submit artwork whether or not he or she is taking an art class or making art professionally. Any and all types of art are welcome, too. Submissions include anything from sculptures, photographs or mixed media, and the program is eagerly looking for students who wish to sell artwork this year.
“We’re going to try and go directly to the art department heads to ask around for submissions, but people are always making art on this campus, so we shouldn’t have a problem collecting submissions,” Dailey said.
The event will take place in the Kevin and Karen Kennedy Center for Theatre and the Studio Arts’ amphitheater, more commonly referred to as the KTSA, throughout the Fallcoming weekend. This weekend will attract parents, alumni and local community members, to whom the auction hopes to appeal.
“I think it’s really great for the parents to see what’s [being created]. We just got a new art building and the museum recently, and [the parents] like to see where their money is going. Letting them see what’s being produced in these places is great,” Dailey said.
Not only are the parents positively affected by the auction, but students are also able to showcase their work and make money.
“It’s good for the students. The more chances I get to see student art, the better. A lot of people are making art that aren’t in classes, and it’s important to get a chance to show [that artwork],” Melodie Rosen ’18, the other event coordinator, said.

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