Set to Stravinsky's Firebird Suite, Etsuko Ichikawa (at left) and Mizue Trinidad provided a performance art piece with hot glass during the Red Hot Party. photo: mahesh thapa
The Museum of Glass in Tacoma’s 2010 Red Hot Party and Auction began at 5 PM on Saturday, September 11th, with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, during which bids were taken for three silent auctions. At 6:45, guests were invited into the museum’s hotshop for the world premiere of Etsuko Ichikawa and Mizue Trinidad’s performance art piece Firebird. After a dinner featuring Italian-themed dishes, guests were given their last chances to bid on the People’s Choice Award, their opportunity to have their say on the best of the donated artworks helping to raise money for the museum. Then it was on to the main event, the live fund-raising auction led by David Silverman and emceed by Dick Foley. The auction wrapped up by 9:45 PM, capping off a night where a total of $653,521 was raised through bids, ticket sales, and sponsorships.
Unlike other fund-raising auctions, the Museum of Glass Red Hot Party and Auction featured prizes for the best donated artwork. The top two prizes —the $10,000 Grand Prize and the $5,000 New/Emerging Artist Award — were selected by a three-person jury made up of Museum of Glass curator Melissa Post, the Corning Museum’s curator of modern glass Tina Oldknow, and GLASS magazine and Hot Sheet editor-in-chief Andrew Page. Preston Singletary took the top prize, which he promptly gave back to the museum as a gift. Ethan Stern won for Best Emerging Artist. In addition, there was a People’s Choice Award selected by those attending the live auction, which carried an award $2,500. John Kiley won this honor, and, like Preston, donated his winnings back to the Museum.
See below for a full gallery of images from the event:
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