Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!enterpoop.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.life From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Arts project in better frame of mind Date: Tue, 24 Nov 92 14:12:10 EST Message-ID: Lines: 82 \SE E;LIFE;ABOUT TOWN \HD Arts project in better frame of mind \BY Ann Geracimos \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES It was the Washington art set celebrating. More or less. The bidding may not have been high at Washington Project for the Arts' (WPA) 13th annual art auction Saturday, but the spirit of artists and patrons certainly was. Does this portend a new era, both politically and financially, for beleaguered art institutions? "It can't be worse," remarked Mary Swift, publisher of the Washington Review, a local arts publication. "Artists have been soul-searching, censoring themselves," offered gallant WPA board chairman Alberto Gaitan, a composer, at a pre-auction buffet dinner for big-spending ($175) patrons at 701 Restaurant. "After 12 years of environmental aggression, people will relax and express themselves more freely," he said. "The last 10 years have been a rude awakening; the honeymoon is over in terms of backers in real estate. The business side of the board has helped the artist side come to terms with the new reality. The buzzword now is building community." Nice words. Hard work. While the 15-year-old WPA is sometimes criticized for smoothing its avant-garde edges, "there is nothing else around for the young and midcareer artist," according to Alan Stone, a longtime supporter and former board member. Half of the board members are artists; the 140 artists in the auction were to receive half the proceeds from their work if it sold. "We have a lot of catching up to do," WPA Executive Director Don Russell told the auction audience seated beneath exposed utility ducts sheathed in Mylar at a vacant Liberty Place office building that was turned into a party space for the night. "We have to create a progressive culture in D.C., and that can be difficult." Sympathetic laughter followed. "The scene renews itself every 15 years or so," lawyer Aaron M. Levine suggested. The scene suits William C. Paley, sporting a tux and ponytail. The son of the late CBS founder and arts patron is a new WPA board member who came to Washington in 1970; his father's extensive collection was bequeathed to New York's Museum of Modern Art. "D.C. is plenty arty for me," he said. "I don't see all I want to of what is going on here." "It's nice to see funky people in Washington," said one soberly clad guest in regulation black and gold after lamenting the relatively high "reserve" bid on many of the silent auction items. Surely, she didn't mean the Nicole Miller ties and cummerbunds on the men? In this crowd, funk was leggings, jacket and bustier. "This looks like a Jackie Chalkey yard sale," said another observer, pleading anonymnity. Reserves on "live" auction items weren't announced, so some of the bidding as usual was more psychological ploy than profit in spite of Christie's auctioneer Patrick Meade's best efforts. (The reserve on one piece by a well-known Washington painter was actually $600 above the $5,400 offered.) "Be brazen!" he exhorted, trying to coax the crowd into playing the role of great collectors, if only for a night. "Let's have a nice round figure. Make it easier for the cashier. Don't discuss it. Just go for it," the auctioneer urged, his deep blue eyes darting for the "go" sign and restricting comment about art mainly to dollar signs. The organization garnered "approximately" $150,000 during the evening, Don Russell reported. Other WPA supporters attending: Uptown Baker Peter Carley (up at 4 a.m. Sunday to make his loaves), board member Judy Whittlesey (Tipper Gore's right-hand during these transition days) and consultant Sherley Koteen, aide to Joan Mondale during previous Democratic White House days and a member of the WPA art selection committee. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM