Years ago, the Baton Rouge Gallery did what so many charities do for its annual fundraiser—it hosted a silent auction.
But a silent auction, says BRG president and CEO Jason Andreasen, didn’t reflect the dynamism of the gallery, a contemporary art institution at City-Brooks Community Park whose accessible and funky culture has long been shaped by its artist members. Around 2007, Andreasen and a group of others began rethinking the annual gala.
“When we thought about what contemporary art brings to a community, the word that we kept coming back to was ‘energy,’” Andreasen recalls. “It’s a force that helps move a city and a community forward. There’s a kinetic energy to what goes on here.”
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Thus, KINETICS was born. And instead of a silent auction, the event added a live auction complete with a fast-talking auctioneer who coaxed bids out of a willing crowd. Since it launched in this form in 2009, the event has become one of Baton Rouge Gallery’s most popular gatherings, attracting hundreds for food, drink and the chance to pick up a new work by a local artist. In recent years, robust numbers have forced the auction to take place outside the gallery in a large tent.
This year’s KINETICS will be held Friday, Nov. 8, and features 33 original pieces for auction by local and regional artists. The ticketed gala includes food from Soji: Modern Asian and craft cocktails served by mixologists from Blend Wine Bar, Soji: Modern Asian, Mestizo Louisiana Mexican Cuisine and Hayride Scandal. Mary Stein, East Baton Rouge Parish Library assistant library director, will emcee. Brian Forroux returns to his annual role as auctioneer.
KINETICS supports the gallery’s monthly openings and other events, Andreasen says.
“All of the exhibitions and programming, which are largely free and open to the public, are made possible by KINETICS,” he says.
The event runs from 7-11 p.m., and the auction starts around 8 p.m. That allows patrons to view the nearly three dozen works, displayed in the rear gallery. Once the bidding starts, they’re taken one by one to the tent outside, where seated patrons hold numbered hand paddles. Bids start at $100 for all pieces, regardless of size, media or artist.
Andreasen says fans of local and regional art will recognize lots of familiar names, including David Horton, Kelli Scott Kelley, Jacqueline Dee Parker, Rob Carpenter and many others. The pieces include paintings, photography and mixed media.
“We’ve got stuff that might be (12 inches by 12 inches), ranging all the way up to a piece that’s 4 feet wide,” Andreasen says. “So, regardless of what space somebody might be trying to fill in their home or office, there’s a lot to choose from.”
An art auction might sound snooty, but Forroux keeps things light with his charming patter. (A cattle auction might be a better comparison than to one at Christie’s.) That’s not to say the setting isn’t filled with beauty and well-dressed attendees. Most patrons come in cocktail attire or something festive.
“You get the fun and the excitement of an in-person auction with a certified auctioneer who is talking fast and cracking jokes,” Andreasen says. “It’s worth the price of admission alone to watch him playfully interact with the audience. He is a show unto himself.”
Buy tickets to KINETICS here. The Baton Rouge Gallery is located at 1515 Dalrymple Drive. For more information, visit Baton Rouge Gallery’s website.
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