DECATUR, Ill. -- Blue Connection, a student-run gallery in the School of Art & Creative Media at Millikin University, and the Illinois Raptor Center announce a special benefit auction that will benefit both organizations to be held Saturday, Oct. 28 at 6 p.m. at the Perkinson Gallery at Kirkland Fine Arts Center. Doors will open at 4 p.m. on Oct. 28 for auction preview and registration.
This amazing collection of artwork will feature original paintings, hand-color lithographs, etchings, and porcelain sculptures of various species of birds of prey, including eagles, hawks and owls. Example artists include ornithologist John James Audubon, P.J. Selby, John Gould, Alexander Wilson, and acclaimed contemporary wildlife artist Richard Sloan.
Millikin Associate Professor of Art Ed Walker, who is also faculty advisor to Blue Connection and owner of Ed Walker Fine Art, a full-service appraisal and consulting service, says that the auction of donated artwork “will provide financial benefit to the Blue Connection Art Gallery and the Illinois Raptor Center while at the same time giving students a real-world art experience that is different than a normal retail experience. We consider it a challenging experiment in planning and logistics for the class because each student will have their own individual task to perform to make the auction a success.”
The exhibition Raptor: Birds of Prey will be on view at Perkinson Gallery in Kirkland Fine Arts Center prior to the auction, Oct. 24-28. The public is invited to view the art, Mon.-Fri., noon-5 p.m.
Pre-registration for absentee bidding is required and can be done by calling or emailing Professor Walker at ewalker@millikin.edu or 217.521.4866. Registration for live bidding will be available at the Perkinson Gallery starting at 4 p.m. on Oct. 28.
See blueconnectionartgallery.com for images and information.
About Perkinson Gallery
Perkinson Gallery, located within Millikin University's Kirkland Fine Arts Center, is a premier venue for the exhibition of visual art and cultural events in Central Illinois. Perkinson Gallery hosts a wide range of exhibitions that focus on work by professional artists from Illinois and the Midwest, in addition to work by artists with national recognition. Artists exhibited in the Perkinson Gallery include John Fraser, Frances Hynes, Lynne Cohen, Anita Jung, Michael Onken, Harold Boyd, David Bower, Todd DeVries, and Ray George, among others. The gallery has 2,000 square feet of floor space, with 132 linear feet of wall space. The Gallery also hosts annual student and faculty exhibitions.
Address: 1215 W. Kirkland Drive, Decatur, IL, 62522
Hours: Mon-Fri, noon-5 p.m.
About the School of Art & Creative Media
The School of Art & Creative Media unites Millikin University’s distinguished Art Department with the rapidly expanding Arts Technology and Administration Department. Our multidisciplinary approach gives students the benefits of traditional artistic practice across several mediums and the skills to craft creative media projects using innovative technologies. The School of Art and
Creative Media hosts multiple exhibitions of guest artists and student artists, film premieres and technology showcases annually. Our student-run arts businesses host additional pop-up exhibitions, speaker series, competitions and other programming on campus and downtown at our Blue Connection Gallery, as well as provide creative media services to businesses and organizations in the community. Visit millikin.edu/college-fine-arts/school-art-creative-media to learn more.
For further information, please contact Professor Ed Walker at 217.521.4866.
