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Barbara Dayton has three words of advice for future Springs Mystery Art Sale shoppers: get there early.
Last year, she had it all planned. She would arrive at Ashawagh Hall by 3:30 p.m., a half hour before the exhibition opened. Modeled after the world-famous event at the Royal College of Art in London, where students and professional artists created postcard-sized work to be sold anonymously alongside one another, Ms. Dayton wanted to be first in line for her 12-year-old daughter’s landscape. After all, every 5-inch-by-7-inch piece—from the colorful and whimsical kindergarten student’s finger-painting to a Dan Rizzie creation—were selling for $20 each.
But to Ms. Dayton’s dismay, she was 50th in line. And by the time she found Aly’s piece among the 1,200 total—a healthy mix between East End locals and Springs School students—it had already sold.
“Oh my gosh, I ended up buying too many anyway,” Ms. Dayton laughed. “At least 10. Some things you could tell were kids works, but one of my favorite pieces that I bought was by a first- or second-grader, It’s really delightful. Some of the charm lies in work that is obviously kid stuff. I think some people are looking for both.”
Mr. Rizzie will return to this year’s sale—held from Wednesday, April 29, through Sunday, May 3, at Ashawagh Hall—alongside Springs School students and dozens of his contemporaries, who include David Salle, Ross Bleckner, April Gornik, Liza Minnelli, Eric Ernst, Randy Rosenthal, Toni Ross, Scott Hewett, Linda Capello, Eric Freeman and Abby Adams.
Hours are 4 to 7 p.m. from Wednesday, April 29, through Friday, May 1. The show will open on Saturday, May 2, at 11 a.m., followed by a reception from 2 to 5 p.m. with an auction at 3 p.m. Pickup of purchased art will be held on Sunday, May 3, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All proceeds will benefit the Spring School’s Visiting Artist Program, as well as other art initiatives.
For more information, visit springsmysteryartsale.com.
Michelle Trauring on Apr 21, 2015