The bids just kept climbing.
And as they first reached, and then surpassed, the amount raised in the inaugural Algonquin Outfitters charity paddle art auction, Randy Mitson, the company’s marketing director, could hardly contain his excitement.
Proceeds from the online auction, which closed last night, support arts organizations with a connection to Muskoka, Algonquin Park, and Haliburton.
There were fewer paddles this time—182 paddles had been painted, carved and otherwise transformed by artists of all ages—but they raised $32,875, far exceeding the $20,094 earned by the 213 paddles in the inaugural auction in 2017.
More than 400 people registered to bid, many of them in Ontario but also a surprising number from Western Canada and the north-eastern US, as well as Baffin Island, the Yukon, Texas, and the UK.
“It’s truly an international auction,” says Mitson, adding that there were 4,331 bids made this time around.
The auction’s increased success was due to several factors. There are the paddles, of course, all unique and beautifully crafted works of art. There was also greater awareness about the auction in its second iteration, and there was a more streamlined method of online bidding that not only made it easier to bid but provided opportunity for a bit of a bidding war for those who really, really wanted a particular paddle.
“The people that participate in the auction really blow my mind,” says Mitson. “They are so generous.”
The paddle that brought in the highest bid at $1,675, A Touch of Fall, was the work of local wood carver Don McKenzie.
Not far behind was a stained glass paddle by Susan Dell, titled Feather Your Paddle , which sold for $1,450.
See all of the paddles and their final bid amounts here.
In addition to all of those who placed bids, Algonquin Outfitters and the charities appreciate the support of the artists as well, says Mitson. A handful of professional artists participated, all of whom declined an offer to have their $30 entry fee refunded—Mitson believes that those who earn a living from their art should be paid something for it, even if that means simply waiving the fee—but all insisted that the funds go to the cause. And there were many talented amateur artists who submitted their work, as well.
In total, there were 1,600 paddles that were taken home by artists as part of the contest, more than 1,400 of which weren’t returned as contest entries. That’s not a bad thing, says Mitson. “The auction is just the tip of the iceberg. People might have fallen in love with the paddle they made and kept it or gave it to friends.” Or artists may have purchased several, entering one in the contest and selling the others, something that AO encouraged, particularly for those pros who shared their immense talent with the fundraising auction.
Proceeds from the auction will support five arts organizations: the Algonquin Art Centre, Artists in Schools in Haliburton, Oxtongue Lake for Arts and Culture, Tom Thomson Gallery in Owen Sound, and the Town of Huntsville’s reserve fund for future acquisition of public art.
It was a contest as well, so in addition to supporting the above organizations, the eight artists whose paddles received the top bids won prizes donated by Algonquin Outfitters, sponsors, and the charities themselves including including AO gift cards worth $500 each, a prize bundle from The Tom Thomson Art Gallery, a $250 gift certificate from the Oxtongue Craft Cabin, dinner for 2 at Bartlett Lodge, a White Birches Resort getaway for 2, and four months of unlimited yoga from Veda Yoga.
If you missed out on either entering a paddle or were outbid for one you wanted to hang on your wall, Algonquin Outfitters owner, Rich Swift, has already given an enthusiastic thumbs-up for a third contest and auction, says Mitson. Artists, watch for details on how to enter on the Algonquin Outfitters website in the spring of 2020, with the auction to be held in the fall of 2021.
Related: Excitement (and bids) are building in the second Algonquin Outfitters Paddle Art Auction
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Love the paddle initiative!
I applaud Algonquin Outfitters for encouraging artistic expression. Art is important as a way of fostering creativity and has always been with mankind–just as the creative impulse came from the Creator. A flowering of creative abilities in our population is a very good thing. Not just in art, of course, but in literature, science and technology as well. Those who create do not destroy each other or the earth which is our home.