September 12, 2023 – 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 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.
