Got a Commission from the Charity Auction! - Page 2

Michele Rushworth · 03-10-2004, 06:02 PM

You should ask who is actually commissioning the painting and that you'd like to meet with anyone who will be involved in any decisions about the painting.

I've met with wives alone, only to find at the end of the process that the husbands had very strong opinions about what should have gone into the portrait (contrary to what the wives initially said.)

Ngaire Winwood · 03-10-2004, 07:29 PM

It is great to hear about your good news and about everyone's experiences.

What is the process you took to get involved with the auction? This is all new to me, I would like to know how to go about it here where there is a private school that I could maybe contact to get started. What are the best ways to go about it? It sounds as though it could kickstart my career also. What are things to steer away from? What would be the best approach? How could I contact the school to make initial contact for this to eventuate?

Julie Deane · 03-10-2004, 09:21 PM

Well, for me, it involved becoming a member of the local art museum - one of the perks is being able to donate to the yearly charity auction. They also have a yearly member show. I had an option of donating all or a portion of the proceeds, but if you donated all, your painting would be given priority, so I chose that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ngaire Winwood

It is great to hear about your good news and about everyone's experiences.

What is the process you took to get involved with the auction? This is all new to me, I would like to know how to go about it here where there is a private school that I could maybe contact to get started. What are the best ways to go about it? It sounds as though it could kickstart my career also. What are things to steer away from? What would be the best approach? How could I contact the school to make initial contact for this to eventuate?

Michele Rushworth · 03-10-2004, 11:24 PM

Pretty much anyone with a high quality item (like an oil portrait) can easily donate to these high-end fundraisers. Just phone up the most expensive private schools in the biggest city near you and ask if they have an auction. Let them know you might be interested in donating an item and they will be delighted. They'll let you know how the process goes from there.

Another place to look is fundraisers for a big hospital, art museums, etc. Be sure that you donate to a high end auction. You're looking for something where they have a sit down dinner, where people get dressed up and pay a hefty fee just to attend. One of the auctions in Seattle costs $400 a person just to attend the dinner. Donating your work to a low end auction will not expose you to people who can afford your work, and it will end up being a huge drain on your time creating a free portrait for someone who will not lead you to new business.

To get an idea what kind of auction the organization has, ask how much people pay to attend, the price of some of the other high end items that were donated last year, etc.

Search this forum under Auctions and check out other threads with Auction in the title. There's a lot of other information elsewhere on SOG on how to do this.

Ngaire Winwood · 03-11-2004, 07:38 PM

Michelle, good info.

How would I approach a private school to generate interest and possible commissions? Fundraisers of the high-end are few and far between here as it is a small town. But the school is a very prestigous one recognised highly outside of this town and state. It is a boarding school too. They have a past student committee and event schedule that most students attend their whole lives. It is a close knit and established entity, and prestigous. Many doctors, professors, many high end past students attend these functions not necessarily here as they have events all over. What would be my best approach?

Julie, what was the criteria for your auction. Was there a particular size and what promotional info did you have to provide to them before hand?

Auctions and fundraisers could be a step in the right direction. Should I offer to do the Principal, or students first?

I have just received a commission from a Professor from a new acquantance, I told him I am only in the early stages and I feel uncomfotable at this stage. He said no worries, sometime in the next five years will do, pick a time when you are ready.

Having this on my mind, should I wait until I complete his portrait and then contact the school or get up to speed with the school commissions. No one here in this region is painting portraits and I would like to grab the spot, so to speak.

I don't have any live models to work from which I desperately need to get experience with, small town talk mentality.

Julie Deane · 03-13-2004, 11:14 AM

HI Ngaire -

All they asked was a minimum bid amount and an artist statement to give to the winning bider.

I got my model for the auction picture by asking someone I knew if I could paint her daughter.

Julie

Ngaire Winwood · 03-14-2004, 04:24 PM

Thanks Julie

That seem's easier enough. Have you ever contacted a private school to cold call for commissions?

Julie Deane · 03-15-2004, 09:04 AM

Hi Ngaire -

Not yet, but hope to this year. My charity auction winner is the parent of a child at the local prestigious (read:money) private school for this area. Once I get that portrait done to my satisfaction and hopefully, hers, then I will be checking with them about contributing to an auction. As far as commissions via cold call- don't know how that would work. It seems that this business is word of mouth. One thing the local small business administration wants me to try is to give short talks for groups. Maybe a short demo plus oil portrait samples available for inspection (with original photo so they can see that there is a likeness) at a parent-teacher organization meeting, plus brochures to take home?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ngaire Winwood

Thanks Julie

That seem's easier enough. Have you ever contacted a private school to cold call for commissions?

Kimberly Dow · 03-15-2004, 09:49 PM

I have donated to charities, but usually in the form of designing a painting specific to their theme and auctioning it off. I did just donate my first portrait - I have not started it yet. From what I was told though the buyer wants to upgrade and add other people, so I am looking forward to it.

One thing that maybe sounds weird, but has helped me is joining the Chamber of Commerce. I get to leave brochures at their office and they send out mass faxes at anytime I want for advertising. The faxes cannot show photos, but it has gotten the business owners in the community to know I am there and contact numbers. It has been well-worth the $55 a year price. Plus, all the charities go through the Chamber so they call me often (too often) for donations. Plus, I actually had my membership paid for by one of the charities I did a poster for. They were a faith-based charity and I would not take payment so they did that instead.

Joan Breckwoldt · 05-03-2004, 10:37 AM

There is a lot of great information on this thread about charity auctions. Our church is having a big charity auction in the fall and I'm thinking about donating some kind of painting for that. I'm a little confused about the best way to go about it, seems some artists donate a certain dollar amount discount (say $200 off the price) towards the charity. If I understand correctly, some donate a percentage of the portrait, maybe 25% of the winning bid. I understand there may be upgrades later.

I want to be sure I donate enough, does anyone just donate the entire amount? This will be a nice auction with people donating dinner for 12 or a long weekend at their weekend home (which happens to be in another state!). In light of that, a small discount doesn't seem appropriate. Though, on the other hand, if I don't get the nerve up to donate a portrait, I'll do a small oil of the chapel and donate that painting, which might only bring $200 anyway. (Yikes, I hope.)

On a side note, I thought of this forum the other evening and the question often raised, "where are all the clients?". There was one in my living room! The other day I was visiting with my daughter's friend's mother and she told me she needs art! She just built a huge home and now she needs art but just doesn't have the time to go out and look. Every artists', not to mention art dealers' (!), dream. Naturally, I offered to paint something for her!!! Which reminds me, I need to call her while she's in the mood for buying art.

I look forward to hearing different views on donating to an auction,

Joan