Mardi

James Surls

The Ogden Roadster

Grab your bidding paddles and black tie; it’s auction time again at the Ogden.

The Ogden Museum of Southern Art hosts their “O What A Night” Gala this Saturday night, benefiting the museum and helping them continue to showcase Southern art. Featuring a silent and a live auction, patrons bid on pieces from their favorite southern artists.

“[The auctions] will be a mix of photography, multimedia, prints, sculpture, ceramic, a collage and mobiles,” said Sue Strachan, public relations director of the Ogden Museum.

The live auction, starting at 8 pm, includes various notable artists, like Shelby Lee Adams, William Dunlap, Thornton Dial, Robert Malone, Hunt Slonem, James Surls and others. This year Ogden will also auction off “Art Experiences.”

“We auction off trips with an art and culture theme. One is a trip to Charleston where there is a tour of the Garden and Gun offices,” Strachan said.

The Experience also includes dining at some of the most popular restaurants in Charleston, such as lunch at Husk, the Peninsula Grill and Cypress Inn. The trip is designed to showcase, a Southern city that also rich in culture, architecture and food.

The silent auction kicks off the evening at 6 p.m. with the help of cocktails by Bellocq and Cure. It includes pieces by Aria de Capo, William Ferris, John Alexander, Linda Burgess, Jack Kotz, Richard Sexton, and other artists who have impacted the southern art scene.  

Strachan notes John Alexander’s print piece as one of the many highlights in the auction.  Alexander, a native of Beaumont, Texas, tries to balance the wonders of nature, and more specifically the wetlands and areas around the Gulf Coast, with sinister human overtones.  

Through stacks and stacks of photographs and bubble wrapped paintings, Strachan picks out a few pieces that she thinks are representative of what patrons will see at action.  

A haunting landscape by Mississippi native William Dunlap, a black and white photograph of late, local music legend Uncle Lionel Batiste by Joshua Mann Pailet, a picture from Jose Torres-Tama’s series about free people of color in New Orleans, who significantly affected the City through their work, and Stanley Staniski’s “Car Wash,” representing different aspects of the south, are only a few among many innovative southern artists people can expect.    

“We get artists from all over the South,” Strachan said. “[From] Robert Malone, he is from Mississippi, his paintings are traditional, to Mallory Paige, who is abstract.”   

Sculptor James Surls is taking his contribution to the gala auction to the winner's doorstep.

“Instead of donating a piece, he will come to your house and do a piece on your wall,” says Strachan.  “He’s so brilliant.” 

Bidding on Surls’ wall paintings start at $ 25,000 and goes up from there.  

“Fun and different, one of our supporters, Henry Shane, who owns Cars of Yesteryears, created a custom Ogden Roadster,” Strachan said.  

Pop the hood of this bright red convertible and one will find that artist Hunt Slonem has transformed the engine cover into a work of art.  Since most people will want to transport the Slonem engine cover from under the hood to the wall, there is also a normal engine cover beneath it.  

Every year, after the auctions take place, the Gala presents the Opus Award to an artist who has greatly contributed to the southern art scene.  This year, Lin Emery receives the award for her kinetic sculptures.  

Catered by Chef Chris Hastings of Hot & Hot Fish Club and Chef Donald Link of Herbsaint, Cochon and Butcher the night promises good food, cocktails, music and most importantly exceptional works of art.