Waiting for the Paint to Dry at The Newport Art Museum

Question: Why is the live auction of works by Newport’s best artists held on Sunday?

Answer: Because they're being painted on Saturday.

Wet paint opening bid was on one of Pieter Roos' paintings

“Wet Paint”, the Newport Art Museum’s annual weekend art show devoted to the lively local art community, took place recently at The Newport Art Museum, and raised $70,000 for NAM’S programs, exhibitions and educational outreach. The Museum is housed in the lovely old Griswold House. (Reportedly, Henry James described the house in his novel “The Europeans”).

Over 250 artists submitted more than 300 works of art to the Newport Art Museum's community arts event, Wet Paint 2009, sponsored by William Vareika Fine Arts Ltd., and the sun was shining, somewhat miraculous given Newport's summer weather

Lisa Goddard and Jessica Hagen

Elizabeth Goddard, Executive Director of NAM, commented "We were blessed with wonderful weather and that really helped bring out the artists on Saturday. The community continues to show strong support for the Museum through Wet Paint. It really is our signature event."

Hundreds of artists fanned out across the area on Saturday, August 15 to create works of art that were hung in the Museum's Ilgenfritz Gallery the same day, in time for an evening reception and preview. Silent bidding continued until Sunday afternoon when Mike Corcoran led a spirited live auction under a tent on the Museum's grounds, assisted by co-chairs Don Jagoe and Jessica Hagen, as well as artist John MacGowan. A seascape painting, one of two by Pieter Roos fetched the highest individual price of $3400. Chris Wyllie contributed "found art" comprising two shutters, and a sestych, which the auctioneer called a "segmentized painting", went for $750.

Other best-selling artists were: Richard Grosvenor, Fred Cushing, Dora Atwater-Milliken, Jonathan Small, Sue McNally, John MacGowan, Jim Hagen, Cindy Brown, Dragana Tornquist, and Kate Hoyt Psaki.