Steven James Brown @ Whodunit? OCAD's Mystery Art Sale

The Ontario College of Art & Design's annual Whodunit? Mystery Art Sale has become one of the most anticipated art events and auctions of the season. This year was no exception. 2009 marks the 8th year of this event which provides important funds for OCAD's programs,and proceeds from this years event were targeted towards the purchase of specialized equipment.

I attended the Gala Preview with Steven James Brown, one of my gallery artists. This was the first year that he had participated in this event and one of the two works he submitted was selected for the Silent Auction. We arrived just before 7 PM and OCAD was bustling with excitement and activity.

It was almost impossible to make your way to the Silent Auction works and even more difficult to actually squeeze your way in to make a bid. We found Steven's piece and were both relieved to see that it was getting attention. Charity art auctions are a funny thing. It is strangely stressful for artists who have work in the auction and for the galleries that represent the artists who have work on view. No matter how confident you are in the work, you always worry. What happens if no one bids on the work, what happens if the bids are too low, what happens if .........?

We made our way along the wall of work commenting on the bidding frenzy that some works generated and sadly, the lack of interest towards other very deserving works. There were numerous works that I would have liked to take home, but nothing that made it home with me that night.

We took a break from watching the Live Auction, a new feature this year, and headed downstairs to take a look at the 1431 lots available in the public sale. There was a lot of really good work, and some amazing art deals if you knew what and for whom to look for.

Steven James Brown, 8 mm Sankyo, 2006
Lot 860
1 of 7 cameras from Surreal Life Series

We found Steven's second work in Lot 860, and recognized the work of two of my other gallery artists J. Lynn Campbell in Lots 346 and 775, and Svava Thordis Juliusson in Lots 713 and 718.

Whodunit? presents work by OCAD students, faculty, and alumni as well as artists, designers and creative celebrities who all donate two or more works, all of which are the same size (5.5" x 7.5") and the same price ($75). The works selected for the Gala Preview Silent Auction start with a minimum bid of $150. The fun and mystery of the event is that the identity of the artist is unknown until the work is purchased.

Before re-joining the party upstairs, I made a list of work that I was interested in just in case I decided to brave the crowds and line-up hours before the doors opened at 10 am on Saturday, November 21st. As we made our way through the partying crowds we noticed that the action around the Silent Auction items was still intense. While we were both curious to see the auction results, we left moments before the Silent Auction lot that Steven was in was about to close.

Steven James Brown, Prozac, 2006
1 of 8 prescription drug bottles from Science Fiction series

I try to keep detailed records of who buys the work of the artists I represent, and as a result it felt weird not knowing who would take Steven's work home that night. It made me think that the mystery surrounding the event goes both ways. The purchasers of these precious small works of art do not know whose work they are collecting until they take possession of the work, however, in most cases the artist never knows who took home their work.

In Steven's case the collector of Prozac, his work in the Silent Auction is only somewhat of a mystery as she proudly blogged about her acquisition on the blog She Does the City - Toronto. So, thanks Christine for your interest in Steven James Brown's work and for your support of OCAD. Proceeds from the Gala Preview Auctions that night raised more than $68,000 for OCAD.