There will be nearly 200 works of art to bid on at Artrageous, the Montserrat College of Art's auction at the Cummings Center in Beverly on Saturday. The artists include some with national reputations and some who are just starting out.
Their works range from paintings in acrylic, watercolor and oils, to photographs and several hard-to-classify pieces in mixed media. Stretching the definition of art, there's even a hockey stick signed by former Bruins great Ray Bourque.
Featured artist Barbara Moody of Beverly has seven paintings in the silent auction and one in the live auction. In part, this position of honor recognizes Moody's 30 years of valuable work at Montserrat.
"I have such a long association with the school, I'm a symbol for some people of (Montserrat)," Moody said.
Moody's paintings are, at first glance, of recognizable subjects such as horses, men or palm trees. But Moody paintings have a way, over time, of unsettling the viewer. The title of a 2001 show, "What's Wrong With This Picture?" suggests her desire to challenge an audience.
Another characteristic of Moody's work is its abrupt changes in style. Black and white drawings of animals have alternated with watercolor seascapes. She did a series of 40 oil paintings that recall, but also mock, children's coloring books, and recently completed two large murals for the Meditech Corp. headquarters in Fall River.
"The only reason you make paintings is to try something new," Moody said of her work. After mastering a style or subject matter, she wants to try something fresh. "I have a short attention span," she said.
All the artists at the auction have donated all the proceeds from sales of their works to the school.
Notable entries include Will Barnet, who was born in Beverly in 1911. His work hangs in several important collections, including those at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, and the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, N.H. Tim Harney, who lives in Beverly and has participated in shows at Boston's Musem of Fine Art, has donated a portrait to the fundraiser.
R. Hilliard Ebling, chairman of Montserrat's board of trustees, said curators from the Fogg Museum at Harvard and the DeCordova Museum in Lincoln judged the donations.
Ebling said there are a fair number of contributing artists with no connection to Montserrat or Beverly, who want to support the arts by participating in a juried auction. Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky, who has had shows at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., is one of them.
"All of the money goes to students from less well-off families," Ebling said. More than 250 students are enrolled at Montserrat where tuition, apart from room and board, stands at around $24,000 per year, according to Ebling.
As a collector of art who bought his first work at a Montserrat auction 15 years ago, Ebling said he enjoys the competition that develops between bidders. But he also appreciates the confidence it gives students to see works by their professors and themselves, fetch decent prices. This year, nine works of 30 juried into the live auction are by current Montserrat students.
"Some of these kids have real talent," Ebling said.
If You Go:
What: "Artrageous," Montserrat College of Art Auction.
Preview: See 200 artworks, and several nonart items, at www.montserrat.edu.
Where: 500 Cummings Center, sixth floor, Beverly
When: Saturday, May 3, 5:30 p.m.
Tickets: $100 general admission to silent and live auctions. Call Cynthia Bowen at 978-921-4242, ext. 1115.
