GREENFIELD — As part of its Fall Appeal, The LAVA Center at 324 Main St. will host its first silent auction of art donated by local creatives.
The exhibit of available art, which opens Saturday, Sept. 6, with a reception from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will be remain on display through Saturday, Dec. 20, is produced in collaboration with Art Deviation Gallery. More than two dozen works by assemblage artist Andy Rothschild will anchor the exhibit, accompanied by donations from many other artists whose work has been shown at The LAVA Center.
Fall Appeal organizer Jan Maher said this is the first time The LAVA Center has put together this fundraising effort, where silent auction proceeds go to the nonprofit. In the past, an appeal for donations has come in the form of letters sent to people on the center’s mailing list and to previous donors. This year, The LAVA Center seeks to raise at least $10,000 through the inaugural art auction and future Fall Appeal programming.
“We try to keep [The LAVA Center] as accessible as possible, which means there’s sometimes no charge,” Maher said, saying she feels the organization has proven itself to be a key player in downtown Greenfield. “That means we have to have a lot of support.”
Rothschild is known for his “Assembled Found Objects.” By repurposing metal scrap, rusty tools and other materials, he looks to turn trash into treasure.
“I first dipped my toes into the found objects art waters sometime toward the end of 2006,” he recounted in a statement. “My friend, Matthew Leighton, had recently passed away. I had admired, enjoyed and smiled at his ‘assemblages’ since he began creating them. I have tried as best as I am able to create pieces in the manner of the ‘Matthew Leighton School of Assemblages.’”
Rothschild estimates he has created 1,000 pieces since then, of which 900 are in other people’s possession. Some of his work is on display at Art Deviation Gallery.
Ash Goverman, co-coordinator of The LAVA Center, said the center is “deeply grateful” for Rothschild’s support, and is welcoming other artists to follow suit by offering pieces of their work to include in the exhibit. Proceeds from the fundraiser will help The LAVA Center serve local artists and their audiences by keeping its programming low-cost or free.
“Each piece will have a minimum price set by the artist, a ‘buy me now’ price for those who want to buy a piece and take it home immediately, and a bidding sheet that will allow people to visit the exhibit over the course of the weeks ahead to bid on the work they would like to own,” Goverman explained.
“Our goal is to see every single piece going to a new home,” added Vanessa Query, The LAVA Center’s manager, “but if a piece remains unsold at the end of the auction, it will be returned to the artist. There will be a range of art and a range of starting and ‘buy me now’ prices, so everyone will be able to find something that fits their budget and their tastes. For those who cannot afford to bid, Andy Rothschild is providing several pieces on a ‘pay-whatever-you-can’ basis.”
“We’re so incredibly grateful for his generous spirit,” Maher said of Rothschild.
The Silent Art Auction is part of a series of events in The LAVA Center’s Fall Appeal as the organization looks to its seventh year in operation, providing art, film, playreading, writing, spoken word, storytelling, standup comedy and community conversations. For a full list of the events, visit thelavacenter.org.
