UW Art Museum Announces Featured Auction Items at Benefit Gala Oct. 4

Vacation packages, artwork and jewelry are among auction items that will be part of the University of Wyoming Art Museum’s 25th annual gala fundraiser Friday, Oct. 4.

“Fantastical Night at the Museum” begins at 6 p.m. at the Centennial Complex. The benefit gala is planned as a fun-filled, fantastic evening of art, food, libations, music, dancing, an auction and friends. The theme this year celebrates a new exhibition, “(re)Evolution: Enrique Gomez de Molina and Troy Abbott.” Formal attire with a fantastical flair is requested, event organizers say.

Featured live auction items include:

-- A three-day, two-night stay for four at the Brush Creek Ranch in Saratoga, donated by the Brush Creek Ranch. The all-inclusive package includes luxury accommodations; gourmet meals; premium beers, wines and spirits; and an array of on-ranch experiences, including guides, gear and instruction. The reserve value of this package is $6,000.

-- An oil painting, “Shrine: Bessozo 3,” by Ricki Klages and donated by her. Klages paints scenes that mix straightforward landscape representation, dream imagery, intensive observation and subtly startling images that incorporate elements of magic, still life and the figure. She is a UW professor of art and has served as head of the UW Department of Visual Arts since 2006. She holds MFA and M.A. degrees from the University of New Mexico. Klages has exhibited across the United States, as well as internationally in London and Lisbon. She is represented by William Havu Gallery in Denver. Her painting is valued at $1,200.

-- A rough druzy agate slice necklace with 18-karat gold and matching 18-karat gold fly earrings by jewelry designer Gabriella Kiss, donated by the UW Art Museum National Advisory Board. Together, these items are valued at $2,700. Kiss creates enchanting jewelry that highlights the beauty of the natural world. She takes inspiration from close observation of insects, mosses, fungi and other overlooked natural elements.

-- One-week stay at Las Casitas Akumal, Mexico, donated by Nancy Schiffer. The two-bedroom, two-bath beachfront casita includes a kitchen, dining room and living room, plus a patio overlooking the bay. Akumal Bay is 60 miles south of Cancun and 10 miles north of Tulum on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. The casita can be used in 2019 or 2020.

Featured silent auction items include:

-- Four nights in a luxury three-bedroom Snow King Resort townhouse in Jackson, donated by the UW Art Museum National Advisory Board. The townhouse has a covered balcony with a view of the Tetons. It is fully furnished with three bathrooms and a one-car garage. Also included are free use of the hotel’s workout facilities and free scheduled transportation to and from the Jackson Hole Airport and to and from Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. This package is valued at $4,000.

-- A framed woodblock print by Wyoming artist Kathy Wipfler and donated by her. Born and raised in California, Wipfler has called Jackson home since 1978. Drawn to the open spaces and the spectacular scenery of the region, Wipfler finds beauty not only in the landscapes, but also in such scenes as driving cattle and harvesting hay -- activities she experiences firsthand living on a working ranch. Her print is valued at $260.

“This year, the benefit gala will return to the University of Wyoming Art Museum. There is no better way to celebrate the incredible work the museum does for campus and the state than to spend an evening among our supportive community and compelling art,” says Felicia Resor, president of the UW Art Museum National Advisory Board. “After last year’s hiatus to celebrate the Centennial Complex’s 25th anniversary together with the American Heritage Center, we are excited to bring the art gala back, and we look forward to seeing new and old faces at the museum in October!”

The event is hosted by the UW Art Museum National Advisory Board and provides significant financial support for museum exhibitions, collections, education and outreach.

The UW Art Museum’s programs are anchored on a comprehensive and growing collection of more than 8,000 objects and a diverse exhibition program that ranges from innovative artists of present time to art of the American West and art from other times and cultures. Its original art resources form the basis for education and outreach programs that serve the state of Wyoming and enable academic and community engagement opportunities.

For tickets or sponsorship levels, visit www.uwyo.edu/artmuseum/events/benefit-gala-2019/ or call the UW Art Museum’s administrative assistant at (307) 766-3477.

For more information about the UW Art Museum, call (307) 766-6622, visit the website at www.uwyo.edu/artmuseum, or follow the museum on Facebook and Instagram.

The UW Art Museum collects, exhibits and interprets art to inspire creativity and nurture lifelong learning for the people of Wyoming. Located in the Centennial Complex at 2111 E. Willett Drive in Laramie, the museum is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday hours are extended to 7 p.m. Admission is free.