Art from more than 53 artists will be auctioned Saturday at the Mountain West Contemporary Art Auction and the proceeds will benefit the MSU School of Art. The art includes "Bull Shows," this giclee print by renowned artist Kevin Red Star.

The works of more than 53 artists of regional and national renown will be showcased in the Montana State University School of Art's third annual Mountain West Contemporary Art Auction to be held at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2 in the ballroom of the Emerson Center for the Arts and Culture.

The auction, which is the chief fund-raiser for the art department, features the works of many noted artists who once attended the MSU School of Art. Richard Helzer, director of the MSU School of Art, said the art auction was developed three years ago to fund the transformation of an MSU agriculture out-building into a sorely needed Graduate Art Studio. The department is still paying off that loan. Proceeds will also be used for student scholarships and special needs for the program.

"This year funds will go to paying off the last of the loan to build the Graduate Art Studios, scholarships for students who wish to participate in our Semester In Italy program, and our Visiting Artist program," Helzer said. "The auction raises important funds that our regular university budget does not cover. For instance each fall the Graphic Design senior class takes a field trip to Seattle to visit design firms. This is an extremely important professional trip, but our regular budget does not allow us to assist the students in funding."

Artists whose work will be featured in the auction include Josh DeWeese, Rudy Autio, Gennie DeWeese, Micheal Haykin, Richard Notkin, Kevin Red Star and the MSU School of Art faculty and others.

Work to be auction can be previewed online at the auction's Web page and bidding can be made live or with a proxy bid form found on the Web site.

The event begins at 6:30 p.m. with complimentary hors d'oeuvres catered by the Oak Street Market, no-host cocktails featuring a signature drink sponsored by Absolut Vodka, and art viewing. The auction begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 at the door. Tickets may be purchased at Cactus Records, Indulgence, Shack-Up, Gallatin River Gallery in Big Sky, Red Raven Gallery in Big Sky, or by calling the office of the School of Art at (406) 994-4501.

Written by Carol Schmidt and posted 9/30/04.