Art In The Pool!
Posted: 28th March 2011 By Andrew Johnson
Whilst difficult to imagine an art auction and exhibition in a closed Edwardian swimming pool, around 120 people made there way to Calder Street on the evening of 17th March when the auction launched and viewing began. They were not disappointed - the effects and ambiance were stunning. With delicate lighting, musical accompaniment, convivial refreshments on hand and the surrounds of the main pool artistically draped, some 65 exhibits were on show. Carefully hung on changing cubicles around the pool as well as on its glistening tiled walls from deep to shallow ends, visitors and potential buyers were able to view the work from some of the world’s leading contemporary artists as well as that by emerging, national (and international) artists and by children from local Govanhill schools. See News: http://www.govanhillbaths.com/news/ Frank McAeety MSP formally launched the auction. Celebrating the long-term efforts of the community in its 10 year struggle to see the baths re-opened he congratulated the Trust for this latest creative and original fund-raising venture. He noted that efforts have led to the re-opening of the front suite of the baths as a base for the Trust and the Centre for Community Practice and that all of this was a testimony to what a community could achieve by working together in spite of massive odds against it. In noting the support by the Glasgow City Council and the Government’s Equally Well programme he wished the Trust continued success in its work and development and formally declared the auction open, hoping that many people would come along and avail themselves of what was clearly some very fine art work - and promising to purchase work himself! Members of the Trust’s Board went on to explain our Phase 1 programme
(See http://www.govanhillbaths.com/about/updates/) and to thank all of those who had been so supportive of this event. Not least the artists, so many of whom had donated the entire proceeds of their work to the Trust and the re-opening the baths. (See NOTE below)
With a good flow of prospective purchasers visiting the exhibits throughout Friday and Saturday, 18th and 19th March a further 100 or so gathered in the main pool for the live auction on the evening of 19th. The Dean Queasy band and the Voicebeat choir entertained visitors as they made their final bids at the silent auction. As many there commented, acoustics in a swimming pool for an echoing reverberating choir seemed quite perfect for such an event.
When Gavin Strang of Lyon and Turnbull Fine Art and Antique Auctioneers took the podium to begin the auction the stage was perfectly set. Around £7K was taken for the works with more to come from Lyon and Turnbull generously agreeing to include some unsold work in auctions of their own in the near future. But for the Trust, given the event was a part of the work of our own Govanhill Baths Art and Regeneration Team run by local artists, the event was an unqualified success and one that could have an annual slot in our work.
Our grateful thanks are due to:
Seth Schwaiger, Curator
Scottish Opera, for loan of draping materials
The Co-operative, for their (once again) donations of wine and refreshments
CPE Lighting Glasgow, for generous donation of fittings and labour
HSS Hire Glasgow, for electrical “generating” facilities
NORD Architecture Glasgow, our main sponsor, for all its developmental work for our Projects
Glasgow City Council for loan and delivery of safety barriers around the pool
The Pandora manager (pub next door!) for generous use of facilities during the preparation and delivery of the auction
The Headteachers staff and pupils of local schools who embraced the project so supportively; Holy Cross, Cuthbertson and Annette Street Primary Schools and Holybrook Secondary
And finally, but critically, all of the volunteers including those from our GBART group, who generously gave their time planning and delivering the event, scrubbing up the pool (!), acting as “invigilators”, serving refreshments, designing and selling merchandise and far too much more to mention.
NOTES The Baths Auction a Govanhill Baths charity event Thursday, March 17th - Saturday 19th, 2011. See also News http://www.govanhillbaths.com/news/
The Auction was a three-day charity event that took place in the main pool of Govanhill Baths to raise funds and awareness in support of the campaign to restore the building to a wellbeing centre. The auction took place in two parts beginning with a silent auction of work gathered from an open call, and culminating in a live auction of the most desired of these works alongside art from invited well-established artists.
Call for Artists work closed applications closed on February 5th, 2011.
The response was been quite overwhelming with 15 worldwide acclaimed artists and some 40 known and developing artists locally and nationally contributing. Four local schools are also contributing children’s work.
The proceeds of the auction will support the Govanhill Baths Community Trust and its campaign to restore the building to public use. Artists had the option of a full (100% of proceeds to charity) or partial (50% to charity 50% back to artist) donation of their works.
Auction Format
The auction took place in two parts: first, a three day exhibition and silent auction, and secondly, a live auction on the evening of the 19th. All accepted works were for sale in the silent auction with a starting bid of £20. All following bids were made in £10 increments or more. Fully donated works (100% to charity) were marked as such at the exhibition. A selection of the most sought after works from the silent auction were move on to the live auction to be sold alongside works from invited well-established artists.
Eligibility
In accordance with the Govanhill Baths Community Trust's primary aims of benefiting the local area, one third of exhibited work at the Bath's auction were be selected from applicants within the Govanhill community. The remaining two thirds were open to all artists working in any auctionable media. All accepted work had to be delivered to the Govanhill Baths Community Trust office by March 1st and be ready to display upon delivery.
For more information Art in the Pool!
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