Show Preview | The Pearl Art Auction

Portland, OR
Urban Studio, September 1

Timothy C. Tyler, Laura, oil, 30 x 24. Estimate: $4,400.

This story was featured in the September 2014 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art September 2014 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story!

This Labor Day in Portland, OR, a brand-new event marks what many in the Pacific Northwest feel is the long-overdue arrival of the first-ever fine-art auction of its kind in the region. The inaugural Pearl Art Auction takes place September 1 at Urban Studio, a contemporary event venue located in the arts and culture hub of Northwest Portland known as the  Pearl District.

Sculptor Rip Caswell, owner of Caswell Gallery in nearby Troutdale, OR, conceived the event in an effort to fill what he saw as a void in the local fine-art community. “My goal is to put The Pearl Art Auction on the map as a fine-art destination that can join the ranks of other premier events, such as the Santa Fe Art Auction and the Jackson Hole Art Auction,” Caswell says. “I expect The Pearl Art Auction to bring in buyers from all over the West, and I believe it will  become one of the Northwest’s greatest art draws,” he adds.

The auction features approximately 80 juried artworks with estimated values ranging from $500 to $40,000. “The most valuable piece accepted to date is by Russian painter Alexei Butirskiy, with an estimated value of $40,000,” says the auction’s Kathy Toynbee. Other notable artists with works on the block include Greg Beecham, Eric Bowman, Jennifer Diehl, Timothy C. Tyler, Michael Orwick,  Romona Youngquist, and many other local, regional, and national artists who work in a wide variety of mediums— including oil, watercolor, acrylic, graphite, bronze, clay, and more. Styles range from realism to abstraction and subject matter runs the gamut from landscapes to figurative, wildlife, and still-life works.

Caswell Gallery hosts a preview of selected works August 29-31, and works may also be previewed online any time. Bidding begins at 6 p.m. on Monday, September 1, at Urban Studio. For collectors who are unable to attend the auction in person, there are absentee, phone, and online bidding options available as well.

Toynbee is looking forward to a successful event this year and for many years to come. “The Pacific Northwest has waited a very long time to host a fine-art auction, and now the wait is finally over,” she says. —Lindsay Mitchell

contact information
503.492.2473
www.thepearlartauction.com

Featured in the September 2014 issue of Southwest Art magazine–click below to purchase:
Southwest Art September 2014 print issue or digital download Or subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss a story!