The North Dakota Museum of Art, the state's official art museum, will hold its fifteenth annual Autumn Art Auction, on Saturday, October 20, 2012. The committee chairs for this year’s Auction, Carson and Natalie Muth, have teamed up with a dedicated organizing committee. The evening begins at 6:30 pm with live music by Jazz on Tap, wine donated by Hugo’s Wine and Spirits, and appetizers donated by Amazing Grains, Blue Moose, Dakota Harvest Bakers, Grand Forks Country Club, Little Bangkok, Museum Café, and Rhombus Guys. The live auction starts at 8:00 pm. Tickets are $30 for members, $35 for non-members in advance, and $40 for non-members at the door.

The 52 pieces of art are now on display at the Museum or online at www.ndmoa.com. They will be auctioned by Ross Rolshoven. He has been a volunteer for numerous civic events and charities over the past thirty years, including the North Dakota Museum of Art.  In everyday life, however, he is a legal investigator who handles high profile cases involving corporate, civil, and criminal matters. He owns and operates Great Plains Claims, Inc., along with his brother Reid, in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

Of the Auction, Museum Director Laurel Reuter writes, In 1999, the Museum held its inaugural Autumn Art Auction. This was the first live auction of work by contemporary artists in North Dakota and beyond. Our goal was to develop a buying audience for our artists. As you might know, this auction set the precedent for paying artists before paying ourselves. We never ask artists to donate art—although some do. Neither Museum staff nor the artists knew what would happen. Would the auction be perceived as a place to pick up good work at rock-bottom prices? And yes, during those early years prices were often close to wholesale. The Museum’s faith in its audience, however, did not waver and gradually prices began to climb. Fortunately, our artists stayed with us.

Today it seems that everyone is sponsoring sales and auctions. Clearly we have been successful. Artists are making money—the Museum is covering expenses. Local non-chain restaurant owners who look to local artists to cover their walls have helped us, with Kim Holmes from Sanders leading the way. Best of all, young people are growing up expecting “real” art to be part of their lives.

Each year we widen our pool of artists with ties to our audience, thus creating a richer environment for art to flourish. This year we have artwork by artists who have had recent solo shows: the Oakes Twins, Warren MacKenzie, Lena McGrath Welker, John Hitchcock, and Margaret Wall-Romana.

Absentee bidding is possible by mail or telephone. Call the Museum at (701) 777-4195 to order tickets, receive an Auction Catalog, or register for absentee bidding. The Museum is located on Centennial Drive in Grand Forks. Hours are 9 am to 5 pm weekdays and 1 to 5 pm weekends. Call (701) 777-4195 for information on current exhibitions, the Museum Café, or the Museum Gift Shop.

Parking for the Auction is provided by the Museum free of charge in the lots to the north and west of the Museum.