By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Hays Arts Council is now accepting donations of art for its Aces & Eights art auction exhibition and fundraiser.
All of the art pieces in exhibition and art auction will be 8 inches by 8 inches or fit in a display cube that is 8 inches square.
All of the money raised in the auction will benefit the HAC and its mission to promote the arts in the Hays area.
Like many galleries and art centers, the HAC has been juggling exhibition schedules, working to provide quality arts experiences, generate interest and engage audiences both in person and virtually, Brenda Meder, HAC director, said in a news release Monday.
Because of limited in-person interaction, the HAC wanted something that would engage and intrigue an audience, give them reason to revisit the exhibition, and provide direct links to artists and their works for its late fall exhibition, Meder said.
With a nod to local history, the title playfully references the iconic final poker hand held by legendary lawman Wild Bill Hickok, who served as sheriff of Hays City and Ellis County in 1869.
"For the project, 'Aces' refers to the artists who've created the climate of cultural energy and engagement in our community and region," Meder said. "They are, and always have been, the highest card in the hand we play, the creative 'ace in the hole' and without them, we'd have no Hays Arts Council."
“Eights" refers to the size of the artworks donated for this exhibition and online auction. The dimensions of 2-D artwork itself is to be 8 inches by 8 inches (depending on framing or presentation choice, the overall size may exceed those dimensions) 3-D work is to simply fit within an 8-inch, five-sided display case that we will provide (though not included in the sale price of the work).
An existing 2- or 3-D work can be modified to meet the 8-inch dimensions, or a new work created. There are no requirements or restrictions on subject or process.
Donated work will be installed as a traditional HAC gallery exhibition, open to visitors to enjoy in person. For the online auction, the HAC will use a professional online bidding platform, which will run for the duration of the gallery exhibition. All works will require a $50 opening bid, with $5 minimum bid increases.
Meder said the HAC will be willing to mail pieces to winners at their expense, allowing the auction to open to those outside of the Hays area.
The HAC will provide direct links to a donating artist's website, Facebook page, blog or Instagram. As provided by the artist, those links will be included in HAC website and Facebook albums of the exhibited works – as well as with the online auction artist and work info.
With the HAC's growing online audience and anticipated project interest, Meder said she hopes to engage and directly connect a larger community with the participating artists.
The event timeline is as follows:
Monday, Oct. 19: deadline to receive donated works
Monday, Oct. 26: gallery exhibition opens
Thursday, Oct. 29: online auction begins
Wednesday, Nov 18: exhibition and auction concludes
You can learn more about the Aces & Eights exhibition on the HAC website or by calling the HAC at 785-625-7522.