The 40th Annual Art Auction was a great success, thank you to all of those who attended both the Silent and Live Auction events!

Celebrating forty years of Art Auction excellence was the focus of the Yellowstone Art Museum’s largest annual Fundraiser. This year’s two-night event had a combined crowd of about 850 people who took part in the festivities. Commanding the highest prices in the Live Auction were Ted Waddell’s piece, Lynn’s Narcissus #3, which sold above value at $16,500; and Nick Lamb’s bronze sculpture, Fire Sale Merlin, which sold above value at $6,600 and was also the only piece of the artists’ work that was salvaged from the “2007 Ford Fire” that destroyed his home and studio. The highest selling pieces in the Silent Auction were Jerry Cornelia’s painting “Zelma figured that since you only go around once, you might as well look fabulous doing it.” which sold for $1,500; and Carol Spielman’s painting, Prairie Thunder which sold above value at $1,250. Sue Tirrell's quick draw clay sculpture brought in an additional $1,320. The Museum also celebrated it’s 10th anniversary of the new addition to the original Art Center and the historical county jail.

Friday night’s Silent Auction and Beer Tasting, organized by Intermountain Distributing, served up more than two-dozen brews complemented by a wonderful array of hors d’oeuvres by Beyond Basil. Eighty-three creative works of art captivated the bidders’ attention, featuring something for everyone. This stellar event pleased many new and long-time friends of the Museum.

Saturday night’s Quick Draw and Live Auction was a continued celebration of the 40 exciting years of the art auction. Large photos and backlit images of the Museum’s rich history graced the hallways and tables. Red was the color of the evening and many of the guests came adorned in their best red threads to participate in the ruby anniversary theme. Patrons interacted with the Quick Draw artists as they created impromptu works of art over the course of one hour. Auctioneer Merton Musser led an energized bidding experience, which included the auctioning of an exquisite necklace from Montague’s Jewelers, a raffle for five spectacular prizes, and Lot 2008, a reverse auction to raise much-needed funds for the children’s education programs at the Museum. New this year, the Museum offered pre and live bidding on the popular auction website Proxibid. It attracted bidders from around the country and heightened the status and excitement of the YAM’s largest fundraiser.

Art Auction 40 would not have been such a great success without the time and dedication of our staff, volunteers, committee chairs Kris Carpenter and Pam Muskett, and most generous sponsors USBank; Everlands; Intermountain Distributing Company; Crowley, Haughey, Hanson, Toole & Dietrich PLLP; Galusha, Higgins and Galusha; Sanctuary Spa; Billings Plastic Surgery; Susan Sullivan with DA Davidson & Co.; Mrachek, Popp & Associates, P.C.; and Montague's Jewelers. Finally, without the 85 participating artists, who all donated 50-100% of the proceeds of sale to the Museum’s programs, we could not have succeeded.