Clayton Auction to Fund Arts Education for Youth

A building that has stood vacant for months will host a charitable silent auction this week in conjunction with the Saint Louis Art Fair.

Exhibit A! will happen at 8101 Maryland Ave., formerly the home of Barucci Gallery. All proceeds from the event will go toward Center of Creative Arts (COCA) arts programs that benefit St. Louis City youth.

Architecture firm Cannon Design is sponsoring the event, now in its fourth year. The company specializes in health-care practices but also works in such areas as higher education and sports and recreation. So far, the auctions have raised approximately $100,000 for charitable causes.

It marks the first time it has been held outside of downtown St. Louis.

The decision to come to Clayton made sense because of the base of people who attend the Art Fair and because of the site availability, said Laura Augustine, Cannon's associate vice president and national marketing coordinator.

"It allows me to get into the community as well and meet individuals," Augustine said of the annual event.

So far, preparation work has included painting, scraping the ceilings, installing track lighting, cleaning the carpet and adding signs. The artwork was to be hung over the weekend.

At least 24 paintings will be up for auction. Architects contacted by Cannon donated the sketches. The company contacted 130 professionals about contributing this year, Augustine said, and that list grows from year to year.

People who aren't interested in going through the auction will have the opportunity to buy several of the sketches up front. Those who do participate will have the option of receiving updates via text message or phone call when a new high bid is made on the art they are seeking to purchase.

Winners will be notified late Sunday or Monday.

Art Fair attendees will be able to preview the gallery from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week. The auction opens late Friday afternoon and will run through Sunday at 4 p.m. A VIP reception planned from 7 to 9 p.m. will feature live music from a COCA teacher and food catered by Butler's Pantry.

Matted prints from the 2011 American Institute of Architects (AIA) National Photo Competition also will be available for purchase as part of the event.

The event began in 2008 as a benefit for at-risk students attending De La Salle Middle School in St. Louis City. The fundraiser happened at Cannon's headquarters and drew between 300 and 400 people to bid on architect-donated sketches. Students from the school also made postcards and dog treats to sell as part of the fundraiser.

Funds raised at the second Exhibit A! in 2009 also benefited the school. In 2010 and again this year, funds will go to COCA. Augustine said Cannon is considering changing charities every two years.

While the economic climate has worried organizers, she said, each such auction has been successful.

Architects whose sketches are expected to be up for auction this week at the Clayton event are:

• Hani Rashid

• Mehrdad Yazdani

• Paul J. Donnelly

• Steven Ehrlich

• Michael Graves

• Thomas Leeser

• Bruce Mau

• Monica Ponce de Leon

• Antoine Predock

• Kent Turner

• Rafael Vinoly

• George Nikolajevich

• David Polzin

• Patty Heyda

• Gene Mackey

• Kevin Daly

• Steven Holl

• Mark R. Shoemaker

• Ben van Berkel

• Carlos Ferrater

• Eduardo Souto de Moura

• Enrique Norten

• Richard Gluckman