A Sneak Peek at Our 90th Gala Auction
Get a first look at some of the incredible items up for grabs at our 90th Anniversary Gala on September 25. 100% of auction proceeds from the live and silent auctions support Richmond Art Center’s community programs.
LIVE AUCTION
Enrique Chagoya
Don’t Think the Unthinkable
1991, Etching on paper, 20.5″ × 22.75″, Edition of 25
Limited-edition print produced as a Richmond Art Center fundraiser in 1991. Auction piece is matted but unframed; frame shown for display only.
Estimated Value: $2,000
Inez Storer
Little Rosario (the Optimist)
2023, Mixed media on panel, 24” x 20”
Inez Storer (b. 1933) is a Bay Area artist who is nationally known for richly textured, mixed-media paintings and collages that often include a playful juxtaposition between contemporary cultural icons and historical objects or references. As an educator Storer has held faculty positions at SF Art Institute, Sonoma State University, UC Santa Cruz, and College of Marin (Richmond Art Center interim ED Jeff Nathanson was her student at UC Santa Cruz in the late 70s). Like so many other Bay Area artists, Storer exhibited early in her career at Richmond Art Center and is thrilled to donate this original painting to support our 90th anniversary. In New York she is represented by Nancy Hoffman Gallery where her paintings similar to Little Rosario sell for $12,000 to $14,000.
Estimated Value: $12,000
John Wehrle
Rabbit Ears
1992, Painted wood, 30″ x 13″ x 12”
John Wehrle is well-known as a muralist but his studio practice has also included the creation of often whimsical mixed media sculptures. “Rabbit Ears” was exhibited in his Richmond Art Center retrospective in 2025 and this is a rare opportunity to own a three-dimensional artwork by the artist.
Estimated Value: $2,000
Tom Marioni
Cocktails for 5
Tom Marioni was Richmond Art Center’s curator in the late 1960s through early 1970s. He is famous for starting the Museum of Conceptual Art and for his “Drinking Beer with Friends is the Highest Form of Art” weekly social gatherings in his studio. Certificate is for an experience: cocktails for five guests with the artist at his studio in San Francisco.
Estimated Value: $1,000
Ernie Kim
Bowl
Renowned ceramic artist Ernie Kim (1918-1997) began teaching at Richmond Art Center in 1962, where he became the organization’s director in 1971 and served until 1980. This large ceramic bowl features a layered surface of brown and gray glazes accented with small red and orange dots. The fine incised lines are characteristic of Ernie Kim’s sgraffito technique. The work is signed on the underside, but not dated.
Estimated Value: $500
Terry St. John
Model on Floor
1999, Ink, charcoal, oil pastel on paper, 18″ x 14″ (framed)
Terry St. John (b. 1934, d. 2021) was the rare artist and art scholar who was a painter, educator and museum curator. He is well-remembered for his lush landscape paintings and figure drawings and also as a curator at the Oakland Museum. The drawing “Model on Floor” was created in 1999 and was featured in a benefit auction at Richmond Art Center in 2015 where it was purchased by Matt and Margaret Jacobson. Through their generosity it is now available for another lucky RAC supporter.
Estimated Value: $1,500
Instant European Wine Cellar
A dozen carefully selected European wines from France and Italy, including exceptional and hard-to-find bottles. The collection includes three Châteauneuf-du-Pape reds, Morgon and Moulin-à-Vent Beaujolais, a Côte de Nuits-Villages Burgundy, 2025 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé, a rare Susumanello from Puglia, Tuscan Di Cassanova Rosé, 2022 Laventureaux Burgundy Tonnerre, and Chablis from Laventureaux and Savary.
Carefully cellared and ready to enjoy now, these wines will continue to age beautifully for years. Serve these wines in the accompanying elegant, hand-blown wine glasses.
Estimated Value: $500+ (Many of these wines are no longer available at retail.)
Classic Napa Cabernet
Enjoy a bottle of 2009 Freemark Abbey Sycamore Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley’s famed Rutherford Bench. Carefully cellared and now at its peak, this full-bodied Cabernet offers rich notes of black currant, boysenberry, black cherry, cedar, pipe tobacco, and cocoa, with firm acidity and a long finish. A special bottle to share with friends over a great meal, perhaps paired with a juicy prime rib.
Estimated Value: $325
7 Days of Leisure, Luxury and Fun in Playa del Carmen or Puerto Vallarta
Accommodation Only
Enjoy seven days at a luxurious Vidanta oceanfront resort in Mexico for up to two guests. The winning bidder chooses the location: Playa del Carmen or Puerto Vallarta. Your spacious one-bedroom, one-bath suite includes a kitchen, living and dining areas. Resort amenities include multiple restaurants, pools, spas and fitness centers, golf, shopping, entertainment, lush gardens, and beach access. Accommodation only. Airfare, food, and other expenses are not included.
Estimated Value: $3,500
