Donkey Mill Art Center’s Annual Auction Event Goes Virtual

Caroline Kilhour, “Double Octopus Swim”
10/50, 2020

For more than a decade the Donkey Mill Art Center’s annual art auction has been a premier event for art enthusiasts and collectors. The COVID-19 pandemic doesn’t change that.

The 14th annual event will be held online this year from Feb. 13-27, culminating in a Livestream auction event on Feb. 27 from 5-6:30 p.m.

“Art is not a luxury as arts education develops the survival skills of creative problem-solving, empathy, collaboration and curiosity necessary to unite communities on a local and global scale,” said Mina Elison, the Donkey Mill’s Communication Director and Curator.

While this year’s bidding is online, Elison said, the Donkey Mill looks forward to safely hosting the community in-person at the Mill throughout the month of February to view the work in the gallery.

The online auction features works by more than 70 renowned artists, ranging in value from $100 to more than $10,000. In addition to the wide selection of works by established and emerging artists from Hawai’i and beyond, this year’s auction also debuts more than 80 new works on 1’x1’ panels created by invited artists specifically for the event.

The annual auction enables the Donkey Mill to continuously serve the West Hawai‘i community as an established arts organization.

“By holding this beloved community event online, the Donkey Mill is able to broaden its reach and increase engagement with the local and global community, enabling patrons around the world to bid competitively on exemplary work by respected artists,” according to a press release from Donkey Mill.

Highlights of this year’s auction include works by renowned artists Melissa Chimera, Kaili Chun, Alex Couwenberg, John Koga, Wayne Levin, Hiroki Morinoue, Richard Notkin, Harinani Orme and Carl Pao; ceramic artists Clayton Amemiya, Jisoo Boggs, Daven Hee and Esther Shimazu; lauhala pāpale (hats) by Nanette Bell and Makiko Yamaguchi and sculptural works by Jesse Kahoonei and Daniel Sheinfeld Rodriguez, and so much more!

Online registration for the live online auction is donation-based and opens on Feb. 3, 2021. Visit donkeymillartcenter.org for more information and register to participate at https://bit.ly/annualartauction.