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tsunami fundraiser auction at dorsch
Post #475 • February 16, 2005, 1:10 AM • 31 Comments
Today, from 1 pm to 9 pm, Dorsch Gallery will host a fundraiser auction to benefit the victims of the tsunami disaster. Please forward the information below to everyone you know (copy and paste into an e-mail, or send them this link). Over 100 artists have donated work - come, it will be a blast. Here are the details:
TSUNAMI BENEFIT ART AUCTION
9 PM Wednesday Feb 16 at Dorsch Gallery in Wynwood
105 artists have donated work to this benefit. All proceeds will go to charities benefiting Tsunami victims. The specifics are listed in Bidders FAQs. Some of the artists include:
Robert Chambers
Carlos Betancourt
Wendy Wischer
Frances Trombly
DJ Le Spam
Mark Koven
Julie Kahn
Mette Tommerup
Joshua Levine
Ralph Provisero
Carol Brown
Peggy Nolan
[and yours truly - F.]
1-8:30PM Register to bid on works in auction
6 - 9 PM Dewars 12 serving drinks
9 PM sharp Bidding closes
9:15 - 9:30 PM Winning bids announced
Dorsch Gallery
151 NW 24 Street
Miami FL 33127
305-576-1278
www.dorschgallery.com
How does it work? Glad you asked that.
Tsunami Benefit Art Auction - Bidders FAQ
Dorsch Gallery Feb 16th, 2005 Bidding 1:00pm to 9:00pm
Refreshments generously supplied by Dewars 12 - 6:00pm- 9:00pm
You have Questions. We have answers.
How will this Auction work?
Each work of art will have a bid sheet next to it attached to the wall. The sheet will contain the Artists name, and information about the piece of art. It will also have a Starting Bid amount.
Each person coming to the Tsunami Relief Benefit art auction will receive a Bidder number and a pen. Unless otherwise noted bids should be in $10 increments.
Bidding will begin at 1:00pm and end at 9:00pm sharp on Wednesday February 16th, 2005. Countdown announcements will be made prior to the closing of the auction.
At 9:00pm when the announcement is made that the bidding is closed, volunteers will pick up the bid sheets. (Bids will be accepted until the sheet is removed from the wall.)
Then the Winning bidder numbers will be called and hopefully the winners will walk calmly to the checkout and we wont have a free-for-all. If winners are not present they will be contacted to collect the work the following day. However we urge people to be patient and pick up the work the night of the auction. Receipts will be provided. 7% Florida Sales Tax applies.
Upon a dispute - It will be at the discretion of the Organizer (Brook Dorsch) to open the work in question to a standard general public auction and sold to the highest bidder. REMEMBER: The goal of this is to raise money for the relief and we hope bidders to keep this in mind. We will make every effort to make the final moments of the auction as fair as possible.
-Who gets the money?
If the highest bidder is missing in action, the Gallery will contact the second highest bidder. Once all of the works have been settled, the total amount collected will be split between: Direct Relief International, UNICEF, and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
On a related note, the Miami Herald killed a story about this auction, one that interviewed Brook Dorsch, and could have directed needed traffic to it. (Dorsch submitted his press release a month ago and the author of the story was working on it two weeks before the event.) However, the Herald saw fit to run another regurgitated press release by Fabiola Santiago, author of last week's air-fluffed Antonio Gattorno piece. Santiago's article pimped a book about Cuban art by Rochester art historian Lynette Bosch, released last October.
Before anyone brings up pandering to Cubans, I monitor the Herald pretty closely (well, weekly, anyway; it's all I can stomach) and this focus on Cuban art is unusual. So let's not go there. Instead, let's talk about how the Herald is garbage. With Elisa Turner out of the picture, at least for the time being, the Herald has sunk below the level of malignant neglect and has hit a new low in its arts coverage. The Herald is now the enemy of the South Florida art world. That's not an overstatement - the Miami Herald makes editorial decisions that work against your interests as someone who believes in art's value.
I challenge anyone at the Herald to click the comment link below and explain to Miami's art world why Santiago's article was deemed to be more urgent or newsworthy than the benefit at Dorsch. Go on, we're listening.
Clicking on this link will automatically load the following message into your e-mail client, which you can send normally:
To: SAcoca@herald.com, lgross@herald.com, HeraldEd@herald.com
Subject: challenge
Dear Editors:
Artblog.net has issued a challenge to anyone at the Herald to explain why Fabiola Santiago's "The Art of Exile: Memories of Havana-Miami childhood leads to historian's life work," published February 13, was deemed more urgent or newsworthy than coverage of the February 16 tsunami benefit at Dorsch Gallery, for which over 100 artists donated work. As a reader who closely follows the visual arts in South Florida, I demand that you answer this challenge. Your decision not to report on this event insulted the South Florida art world and its generosity, and I am extremely disappointed by your lack of editorial judgment. Follow this link and click "comment" at the bottom of the page to respond: http://www.artblog.net/?name=2005-02-16-01-10-tsunami
Those addresses are for Shelley Acoca, the editor with whom the gallery was communicating, Liza Gross, Managing Editor, and the general letter of comment address. Of course, if you use web-based e-mail, just copy and paste. Today's the day to do right.
2.
February 16, 2005, 3:39 PM
Autoreply note back from the herald:
We welcome letters that are exclusive to The Herald that include the writer's name, address and daytime telephone number. If you did not include this information, please re-send your entire letter along with the required information. There is no need to resubmit the letter if it has these requirements.
3.
February 16, 2005, 4:17 PM
[groan]... autoreply from Shelley's e-mail:
I will be out of the office until Monday, Feb. 21. If you need immediate attention, please email jchrissos@herald.com or call Joan Chrissos at (305)376-2635. If you send an email with attachments, it will automatically be deleted.
On my system it copies the link, but not the rest of the text, into the e-mail body. No biggie, just cut'n'paste.
4.
February 16, 2005, 4:59 PM
I would only like to add - that my communication with Shelley Acoca was via a very brief e-mail on Monday evening. Prior to that press-release emails were sent much earlier, and I was contacted by a free-lance herald writer and interviewed about the event, I would say over two weeks ago.
On Monday evening I sent a final plea to have the auction mentioned at least on wednesday and was told that Shelley would be one of the persons to whom I should direct my plea. The response that I received indicated that I had missed the deadline of 5:00pm on Monday for the Wednesday section. I understood that I had missed the deadline for my PLEA, but if it hadn't been for the previous requests to other editors, calendar and news desk editors, I would not have brought it up to Franklin. Maybe Shelley was the wrong person, but I couldn't find out who the right person was on the Herald's site.
Please tell everyone you know to come by today, have them check out the work and hopefully they will make a bid. I will give Franklin the final total once all is collected, cause you won't find out via the Miami Herald.
Brook
5.
February 16, 2005, 6:22 PM
Well, Franklin, all Brook had to do was to present himself to the Herald as yet another German transvestite, a very LARGE one this time, and they would have gone for it. It worked well enough at Basel.
6.
February 16, 2005, 6:25 PM
just sent to the herald:
Dear Editors/Publisher~
I am writing in reference to today’s post on www.artblog.net regarding the Herald’s decision to NOT run an article on Dorsch Gallery’s tsunami relief art auction (see http://www.artblog.net/?name=2005-02-16-01-10-tsunami). That decision is made. You will have to live with it, as will your readers. The decision before you now is whether to engage in conversation with the readers of Artblog. I am writing to encourage you to do so.
Artblog does not publish its page view statistics, but it is understood to be somewhere in the low four digits, daily. Perhaps this represents an insignificant number to you, especially when you consider that only a fraction of those people are likely to be readers. But consider that this is a site run by one guy, self-funded. Peruse the archives of the site and you will see that his readership is passionate, intelligent, and very focused on the arts. Sound like a group you should be interested in?
Hopefully your organization is aware of the struggle it is facing to maintain its relevancy. While your web site does not suggest that adopting new media is high on your list of priorities, to most of us here in the real world, the importance of new media is self-evident. If your organization is to survive, it will have to make changes. I believe that one of the major changes will be much more of a two-way conversation with your readers. I would encourage you to pursue this as soon as possible, on as many tracks as possible. Engagement with local bloggers would be an easy step. Here you have a blogger who is welcoming (practically begging) you to engage with him and his readership. It would be foolish of you to ignore the opportunity.
7.
February 16, 2005, 6:45 PM
Thank you PH3, Brook, and Alesh. Jack, excellent idea. I think Brook should dress up in drag tonight as a protest.
8.
February 16, 2005, 6:46 PM
Note that the Red Cross says their tsunami relief needs have been met and directs those wishing to donate further to the list of aid agencies at the Freedom Corps website.
9.
February 16, 2005, 7:36 PM
The Herald is pathetic.
I hope everyone sends the sharply worded response Franklin has posted above. They believe in numbers.
10.
February 16, 2005, 7:44 PM
i just sent in an slightly different version of your letter, with a different headline (in case they start deleting en masse.) it will be interesting to see if anyone from the herald responds.
11.
February 16, 2005, 8:35 PM
I got an immediate "away from desk" response, which at least indicates it got there.
12.
February 16, 2005, 8:38 PM
I sent it too - thanks for making it easy to kick ass Franklin, and good luck at the benefit - I had work in one in Brooklyn last week.
13.
February 16, 2005, 9:03 PM
Thanks Necee, Oldpro, and Wcraghead. Oldpro's right - the more, the merrier. Send it in.
"Artblog.net: Making It Easy to Kick Ass."™ I like it, Wcraghead.
14.
February 16, 2005, 11:29 PM
done.
16.
February 17, 2005, 1:45 AM
Well, I'll see you at the Gallery tonight.... I'll be the guy in the red pumps.
17.
February 17, 2005, 3:26 AM
I'm off right now, can't wait to meet oldpro! It's going to be really real! You're going, right oldpro? That way you can rip on shit tomorrow with a clear conscience. Cool, can't wait.
18.
February 17, 2005, 3:35 AM
Sorry, Chad. Got to go to CAA in Atlanta to tell everyone how misguided Pomo is & I need to get ready.
I know how much you all will miss me.
19.
February 17, 2005, 7:23 AM
Unofficial total from the event: $14,826.99, before taking out sales tax.
20.
February 17, 2005, 8:00 AM
Nicely done. Be proud that you made good in spite of being so shamefully ignored.
21.
February 17, 2005, 5:50 PM
It was great show except I couldn't buy the piece I wanted. some piece was out of my budget. It would be nice to have this kind of charity once a year, so artist can get rid of their storage stuff and some people can buy art cheaper and it is very great cause. It was good turned out even Herald didn't write. (could be better???)
PS sorry Brook, I didn't mean to interrupt last night.
22.
February 17, 2005, 5:59 PM
Since this gets asked periodically (#6), here are the January stats (for the whole month):
Successful requests for pages: 60,868
Average successful requests for pages per day: 1,962
Distinct hosts served: 6,323 (average: 475 per day)
23.
February 17, 2005, 6:15 PM
It was a great turnout. I still think Brook would have made a much better drag queen than those bald clowns in pink at Basel, but we can't have everything. I suppose the Herald may reply via form letter in a week or so, but I'm not sure their involvement would have made all that much difference, though obviously they should have covered the auction. And yes, I got a piece, but I feel vaguely impure about it. Still, I liked it, despite its dubious provenance (which I didn't realize till after the fact). Don't say anything, Franklin. You said enough last night.
24.
February 17, 2005, 7:19 PM
Jack, you're being coy! You have infused in me a burning passion to know what the heck you are talking about. You must tell me, or I may be unable to work today (hey, any excuse!).
Sorry we didn't make it, Dorsch and others; Wednesday night is our regularly scheduled dinner at my grandparents' house.
25.
February 17, 2005, 7:44 PM
I won't tell - but I will say that I'm going to be teasing Jack about it for months.
26.
February 17, 2005, 7:48 PM
Alright Jack and Franklin, I'm with Kathleen. How about assuming a little community and advance the conversation won't you. Throw us bone here!
27.
February 17, 2005, 8:00 PM
Well, Kathleen, if you must know, I got an abstract watercolor by Brandon Opalka--who is (or at least was) represented by the notorious Rocket Projects (aka Toys R' Us). I somehow had him as being with Snitzer or Placemaker, not that either of those galleries is exactly the font of all wisdom, but at least they're more respectable. Yes, I know, I'm a stuffy elitist. So sue me. It's just that I never thought I'd be a Rocket Projects customer, sort of. All I can say is that the watercolor caught my eye and held it (nobody else bid on it, by the way). It's one of the nicest things I've seen by Opalka, who may be better on paper than on canvas.
28.
February 17, 2005, 8:09 PM
see that wasn't so hard Jack, congrats on your auction steal. Whenever I think of "Rocket Projects" I think of some mad scientist trying to win the x prize, or some shady dealings in their flat-file room.
29.
February 17, 2005, 10:49 PM
Aw, Jack! I didn't think you'd buy into that business of judging an artist by the presumed assessment of thier gallery! I thought that the motto around here was: Good art is Good Art!
I think it's awesome that you got one of Brandon's paintings! What I think is possibly even more interesting is that there is a slight possibility that he may be one of the anonymous commentors with whom you spar regularly . . . . I'm not saying he is, I'm just saying it's possible. :)
I must say that my presumed assessment of you has opened up; I enjoy imagining the commonalities of perception which you and Brandon might share . . .
Thanks for telling us!
30.
February 17, 2005, 11:29 PM
Kathleen, good art IS good art. That's why I bought the piece (even though Opalka is part of the more or less trendy group of artists that I not infrequently find underwhelming and overrated). If people do good work, I'm happy to see it and admit it, but I won't go for something just because it's by a local starlet. That's why the year my name was the first one drawn at the annual Locust Projects raffle, and I could have had anything I wanted there, I bypassed Hernan Bas, Naomi Fisher, and various other luminaries in the local firmament to get a painting by a relatively obscure Dorsch artist. It's what I liked best, so that's what I got.
31.
February 17, 2005, 11:32 PM
I said I was going to tease him (and may still), but I have to say that Jack really put his money where is mouth is on this one. Bravo, Jack.
1.
Potato/H3ad
February 16, 2005, 3:37 PM
Chalk it up to the dying-throes of a particularly malignant member of a dying industry. Bravo Brook. See you tonight.
Check yourselves, Herald. Hire some clue-having people, lest yee come face-to-face with the downward spiral.