Massachusetts College of Art and Design Foundation

621 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
617-879-7014

About Auction House

Massachusetts College of Art and Design is the nation’s first public, independent art and design college. This year marks the 31st anniversary of MassArt’s signature annual benefit art auction. This event features an extraordinary array of artwork that continues to attract the most discerning collectors. MassArt Auction proceeds go to scholarships and support for academic programs that directly benefit our most important asset – our students. Perhaps this year more than ever, your support of the 2020 Auction is even more important, as we address the unique needs of our students, faculty,...Read More

and the greater artistic community who are navigating uncharted territory during these challenging times.Read Less

Auction Previews & News

4 Results

Auction Industry, Press Release

Massachusetts sampler with Mayflower family connection to be auctioned June 13

Needlework was created by Saviah Cook Holmes, wife of William Bradford descendant STANSTED MOUNTFITCHET, UK – A needlework sampler embroidered by a girl who married a direct descendant of William Bradford (1590-1657), signatory to the Mayflower Compact, comes to auction at the British auction house Sworders this month. Needlework sampler embroidered by a girl who married a direct descendant of William Bradford (1590-1657), signatory to the Mayflower Compact, to be auctioned at Sworders on June 13. Estimate: £300-£500 ($375-£630). Sworders image The early 19th century American embroidery created by Saviah Cook Holmes (1817-1859) carries an estimate of £300-£500 ($375-£630) and will be offered at Sworders’ June 13 Fine Interiors sale. Worked in long, short, cross- and double cross-stitch on a linen ground, the sampler is titled The Genealogy of Elisha Holmes and assumes the form of an abbreviated family tree. As documented in the embroidery, Holmes was born on December 17, 1817, in Provincetown, Barnstable, Massachusetts, to Saviah Cook and Elisha Bartlett Holmes. She was 12 years old when she made the sampler, on March 24, 1838. Saviah Holmes went on to marry James Bradford, a direct descendent of William Bradford, the Puritan separatist who emigrated on board The Mayflower and was governor of Plymouth Colony intermittently for about 30 years between 1621 and 1657. Bradford’s journal of Plymouth Plantation is one of the key records of the early years of British colonialism in North America. Visit Sworders online at https://bit.ly/3LSlNb3.

AuctionDaily
Auction Preview

2023 MassArt Auction to Feature Artworks by Louise Nevelson, Francesco Clemente

American sculptor Louise Nevelson exhibited her art across America and internationally. Famous for her monochromatic painted wood sculptures, Nevelson’s art style was a mix of Cubism, Abstract Expressionism, and modern art. Besides sculptures, the revered artist explored different branches of printmaking. A multi-color aquatint etching by Nevelson, titled Celebration #5, is a key highlight of the upcoming auction from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design Foundation. Rendered in 1979, the composition has colorful and textured prints against Nevelson’s signature black background. An artwork titled Air by Italian artist Francesco Clemente is another notable lot in the sale. It was produced in 2007. Clemente is an Italian contemporary artist whose works often symbolize mysticism and spirituality. The available lot depicts a human face partially covered with cloud-like shapes. Proceeds from this event will benefit students of art, and bidders can find posters, sculptures, jewelry, and photography. Collectors interested in jewelry can particularly consider an engraved medallion necklace designed by Elisa Melegari. Visit Bidsquare to view the complete catalog for this 2023 MassArt Auction - Silent Auction and other online auctions.

Massachusetts College of Art and Design Foundation
Auction Result

Bidsquare CEO on Success of MassArt Annual Fundraising Event

Massachusetts College of Art and Design Raised $1 Million for Scholarships The Massachusetts College of Art and Design’s 31st annual MassArt Auction was held exclusively online this year using the Bidsquare bidding platform. The proceeds of the event supported scholarships for students and academic programs. In this collaboration with Bidsquare, the MassArt Foundation raised over $950,000 in the live, timed, and buy-now sessions. Auction Daily spoke with Bidsquare’s President and CEO, Allis Ghim, about the success of this event and the future of benefit auctions. MassArt typically holds its charity auction at the end of April, combining a live session with some online bidding. With the COVID-19 crisis eliminating the possibility of in-person events, the MassArt Foundation approached Bidsquare to explore a fully digital auction. The result of this collaboration was a timed auction that ran over two weeks in April, a live event on April 25th, and a buy-now sale that will remain open until 4:00 PM CDT on Friday, May 8th, all hosted on the Bidsquare platform. This year’s auction included works from MassArt students, alumni, and faculty, as well as established artists in the Boston area. Sol Lewitt, Sean Flood, Susan Gheyssari, James Turrell, and Dana Schutz were among the artists whose work was featured in this year’s event. And the top sold lots included Ingrid Calame’s ee-ah-dowewa-eehh! and Turrell’s From Aten Reign. 100% of the proceeds will go toward scholarship funding for deserving students. Over 300 artists donated their work to the sale, which was the first to feature student work in both the live and timed sessions. Ingrid Calame’s “ee-ah-dowewa-eehh!” sold for $16,800 in the live auction.Image from Bidsquare. Ghim attributes the success of this event to “a true partnership approach” between MassArt and Bidsquare. “When MassArt first approached us, over a series of conference calls and emails, we developed a holistic approach leveraging our technology and platform as well as marketing.” she told Auction Daily. The bidding platform was tailored to fit the needs of MassArt, with many intentional choices leading to a well-planned event. In lieu of the in-person event, Karen Keane, the…

AuctionDaily
Auction Industry

Annual MassArt Signature Benefit Art Auction on Bidsquare Continues to Attract the Most Discerning Collectors

Bidsquare is proud to partner with Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) for its signature annual benefit art auction. The event features an extraordinary array of artwork that continues to attract the most discerning collectors. A departure from previous sales, MassArt has moved its entire event online this year. The annual event will comprise of two events, a silent online auction and a live auction. Both events will be conducted through the Bidsquare platform and will allow bidders to bid live in real-time online. Participants may go to bidsquare.com to register for the silent and live auctions, which will offer over 350 contemporary works by both emerging and established artists including internationally renowned visual artist Julian Opie and Foster Prize recipient Lavaughan Jenkins. Julian Opie. New York Couple 6. from the Series New York Couples, Edition 5 of 55, 2019, Estimate $6,375-8,500Bidsquare The live auction will be held on Saturday, April 25 at 8 p.m. ET, and will be conducted by auctioneer Karen Keane, CEO of Skinner, and MassArt Trustee. Bidding for the silent auction is live now, and ends Saturday, April 25 at 9:30 p.m. ET. The auction, co-chaired this year by Elizabeth Lowrey (Principal, Director of Interior Architecture at Elkus Manfredi Architects and MassArt Honorary Degree Recipient) and John Thompson (artist, alumnus and MassArt Fine Arts 2D Faculty), has raised more than $1 million in each of the last five years. Proceeds from the auction go directly to the artists and to MassArt scholarships and academic programs. This year, support of the 2020 Auction is more important than ever, as MassArt addresses its unique needs of students, faculty, and the greater artistic community who are navigating uncharted territory during these challenging times. In addition to the shift to online bidding, other firsts for the 2020 live auction include being the first year a student (MassArt photography student Tavon Taylor) will have a piece in the live auction, as well as the first year a piece of wearable art (a necklace by Rebecca Hannon) will be featured in the live auction. Lavaughan Jenkins, Not for Resale, 2019, Estimate $6,000-10,000Bidsquare "Bidsquare is excited to partner with Massachusetts College of Art and Design…

ArtFixDaily
Auction Preview

2020 MassArt Auction – Live Auction

Contemporary artist Robert Freeman has exhibited in numerous museums and galleries in the Boston area over the last 30 years. His paintings capture the Black middle class in various situations, from black tie events to Mardi Gras celebrations. Available in the live session of the upcoming 2020 MassArt Auction is one of Freeman’s paintings, titled Two Red Dresses. The 2018 work shows two women dancing in cocktail dresses. Their suited partners have matching corsages. A polyurethane wall sculpture from Bill Thompson is among the highlighted items. The piece is colored in a deep shade of magenta that varies in shade across the sculpture’s curves. Thompson’s work has been shown in Santa Fe, Munich, and Boston. An example of Jane Maxwell’s mixed media pieces will also come to auction. The available lot shows four female silhouettes standing with their hands on their hips; the figures are overlaid with the phrase “nevertheless, she persisted.” This sale, offered by the Massachusetts College of Art and Design Foundation to benefit students of the arts, will present 31 lots from contemporary artists. Many mediums are on offer, including painting, sculpture, photography, jewelry, and cast paper. Bidders interested in jewelry can find a multi-colored necklace from Rebecca Hannon made of thin, connected circles. Visit Bidsquare to explore the full catalog and register to bid.

Massachusetts College of Art and Design Foundation
Auction Preview

2020 MassArt Auction – Silent Auction

For 145 years, the Massachusetts College of Art and Design has trained professional artists in the Boston area. The 31st annual MassArt Auction will benefit the college’s students by providing funding for scholarships and support for academic programs. The auction will offer a range of items, from paintings and sculptures to jewelry items. Highlighted is a lapis bracelet from Petra Class, a German artist now living in San Francisco, California. This bracelet is made of rough blue lapis and 18- and 22-karat gold. Featured in this auction are two marionette necklaces from Yuri Tozuka, a metal artist who graduated from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2009. She is known for using dark humor, satire, and illogical notions in her work. These 20-inch long necklaces also function as marionettes made of sterling silver, brain coral, citrine, and blue topaz. An oil painting of two ducks on a patterned tablecloth from another graduate, Maureen O’Connor, can also be found. View the entire collection and register to bid on Bidsquare.

Massachusetts College of Art and Design Foundation