The Box Art Auction is one of the highlights of summer on the East End of Long Island. And it's all for a good cause. The event invites local artists to make art out of an empty box. Their work is then auctioned off to benefit East End Hospice, which has provided end-of-life services to over 17,000 patients and their families. WSHU's Culture Critic Joan Baum spoke with Arlene Bujese, the benefit chair of the auction.
JB: Welcome to you Arlene Bujese, art curator painter, former gallerist, and continuing benefit share of a time-honored charity event in the Hamptons, the box art auction, a widely anticipated occurrence that takes place each August in East Hampton as a fundraiser for East End, hospice.
AB: Thank you so much. It's a pleasure to be here.
JB: Arlene, there are so many competing philanthropic activities in the Hamptons during the summer. What makes the box art auction stand out? And how long have you been involved in its 22-year history and see any changes?
AB: Our particular benefit began in the year 2000, through the efforts of David and Marion Porter. And we've continued on until …actually it's our 23rd year but 22nd because of the COVID year off. And yes, indeed, there have been changes because, along the way, we learned so many things so as to make it the best possible effort. In terms of competitiveness, you don't really think that way, because we're really all in the same place in terms of caring for the community. But this is a smaller benefit. It starts at 4:30 and finishes with a live auction between 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM. It's just a delight. You come in there, there are 84 artists who have made all kinds of works, each of which is totally donated. This is a gift from the artists of their particular art using a wine box or cigar box.
JB: It’s not just art Arlene. It is witticism, it is imagination. And even though you may go around and say, “Oh, I know who that artist is. I recognize the style,” one of the delights is to recognize the style and then to appreciate what the artist is doing differently.
Has the group remained central or is there a central group that gets invited back each year?
AB: Yes, indeed, since year one, we have a number of artists who have been with us since the year 2000. And of course, we've lost many who have died along the years. We do honor them at the event. Yes, there is a continuum in terms of a list of loyal followers. Each year I go to different exhibitions and recruit new members. We sometimes have inquiries, and we consider those. But essentially, it's East End artists, professional artists who live and work on the east end.
JB: And in fact as a stalwart visitor and helper at the box art auction, what'd you say I can attest to, very true. The recognized artists are there, but your reach out to new people is terrific. And of course, what makes this special is the fact that the Hamptons and particularly Easthampton is known for art. So tell us how’s it work? An artist gets accepted and what kind of box does each artist get and then what do they do?
AB: it's an invitational and this goes out in the month of January. We plan way ahead because we need to do so many things. First of all, getting an artist to make it work. It's one thing to invite, it's another thing to get them to get it to you on time. And they are given a wine box or a cigar box. They may do it they wish paint on it, deconstruct it, turn it into something else just so that the beginning is a box or something is on a box. They are original works in different mediums, metal, cloth, paint, collage, photography, needlework, ceramics any kind of material that an artist normally might work in, or might try to work as we'd say outside the box and create something a little different outside of their usual signature work.
JB: Big job for you, assuring that there's a variety and a diversity. Yes?
AB: Yes, indeed. I wouldn't want to have out of 84 artists 40 landscapes.
JB: Right!
AB: So indeed they are selected from the beginning. And as I go through, I do look for different variations in motif, and indirection, and of course, quality of art. But so far, so good. We've done very, very well with each of them.
JB: Well, you've spoken beautifully about the box art, let's not lose the last word auction. And there are two parts to the auction.
AB: The silent auction begins with a beginning amount at $125. And those are out on display tables the entire time through the preview and through the main event. And then the live auction comprises 20 artists and I select these for a variety of reasons. Certainly in terms of difference from one another. They're not all looking alike, which would be impossible anyway. And the live auction begins at 6:00 PM. We have Lucas Hunt, a longtime auctioneer, who does a very, very good job at that and the live auction prices begin at $250. Our highest price ever was a $10,000 bid final bid on a Frank Wimberly a few years ago. So they can go very high and some perhaps not as high as you would like but always, always a very good as we say, wonderful, original portable work of art.
JB: And I'm always struck at the imagination that goes into some of this.
AB: As am I. Also, primarily, I want to emphasize our goal, yes, we need funds because only 80% is covered by insurance, awareness, awareness, of East End Hospiceis our primary goal.
JB: Absolutely. Thank you so very much for being here today. And please, to everybody, come.
AB: Yes, indeed Please do.
For more information about the Box Art Auction click here.
