Friends of Folk Art to Launch World of Treasures Online Auction
SANTA FE – What’s a museum to do when its much-anticipated annual fundraising event, the Friends of Folk Art Flea, is canceled due to ongoing coronavirus pandemic? You dream up another way to offer folk art collectors premium quality handmade art for their homes, and creative personal experiences. That’s what the Museum of International Folk Art (MOIFA) is doing to raise funds for its education and exhibition programs while students are unable to visit the museum in person.
From November 19-22, 2020, Friends of Folk Art (FOFA), in partnership with the Museum of New Mexico Foundation, will host World of Treasures, an online auction of collectors’ quality folk art, fine art, and distinctive experiences that will appeal to all tastes and budgets. More than 100 items will be offered – ranging from intricately crafted jewelry and finely made textiles and clothing, to folk ceramics, paintings, and more. Fun and unusual personal experiences (to be scheduled post-COVID) include vacation home stays in Mexico and New Mexico; two night’s stay at Santa Fe’s famed luxury Inn of The Five Graces; dinner with local celebrity chefs, including James Beard Award-winner Cheryl Alters Jamison (author of “Texas Q: 100 Recipes for the Very Best Barbecue from the Lone Star State, All Smoke-Cooked to Perfection”); and a rare VIP tour of private museum vaults with MOIFA Executive Director Khristaan Villela.
Registration for the World of Treasure online auction begins at 9 a.m. MST on November 9, and is free and open to the public. Photos of items and experiences will be posted for preview at http://bidpal.net/worldoftreasures at 5 p.m. MST on November 16. Auction bidding begins at 9 a.m. MST on Thursday, November 19, until 5 p.m. MST on Sunday, November 22. Winning bidders will be notified at auction close on November 22.
In response to today’s virtual learning climate, MOIFA has enhanced its online education offerings and initiated a project to reach school-age children and their families by distributing Folk Art Kits in a partnership with the Santa Fe Public Library. The kits include all the materials children need to create their own folk art projects. More than 3,800 area children have participated in this innovative outreach program. The World of Treasures auction will include opportunities to underwrite these kits, support expanded development of online programs, and help MOIFA acquire special items for upcoming exhibitions.
The Folk Art Flea, launched in 2008, has raised more than $507,000 to support museum programs. Revenue has been substantially reduced this year due to the museum’s six-month temporary closing to the public, a reduced budget from the State of New Mexico, a drop in donor giving, and cancellation of the Folk Art Flea. All proceeds from the auction will support the museum’s exhibition and expanded outreach programs for all ages.
For more information, please contact Jo Ann Ward at 505-780-5191 or joanndewingward@yahoo.com
• What: Friends of Folk Art World of Treasures Online Auction
• Who: Friends of Folk Art, benefiting the Museum of International Folk Art’s Education and Exhibition Programs
• When: 9 a.m. MST on November 19, 2020 – 5 p.m. on November 22, 2020
• Where: Online at http://bidpal.net/worldoftreasures
About the Museum of International Folk Art
The Museum of International Folk Art is a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, under the leadership of the Board of Regents for the Museum of New Mexico. Programs and exhibits are generously supported by the International Folk Art Foundation and Museum of New Mexico Foundation. The mission of The Museum of International Folk Art is to shape a humane world by connecting people through creative expression and artistic traditions. The museum holds the world’s largest international folk art collection. Our collection spans from the Spanish Colonial period to modern-day New Mexico, with changing contemporary exhibitions.
