The eighth annual Art Off the Wall exhibition brought small original works and a regional-art auction to Carnegie Art Center in North Tonawanda in December 2023.
The fundraiser used a simple structure: five-by-seven-inch artworks were donated and sold at the same accessible price.
Small works without a conventional hierarchy
Established and emerging artists contributed across varied styles and media.
Because the works shared one format and price, visitors selected according to visual response rather than reputation or market value alone.
Buyers left with the chosen artwork immediately, and framing was available on site.
A separate silent auction in the East Gallery included original work by 30 regional artists, among them Charles Clough, Cindi O’Mara, Russell Ram, Beth Pederson, Joyce Hill, Jody Ziehm and George Grace.
An exhibition sustaining a community institution
All proceeds supported the Carnegie Art Center’s operations and year-round visual and performing arts programmes.
The event joined fundraising with direct contact between local audiences and original art.
Its accessible scale allowed people who might not normally collect art to acquire a unique work.
The original announcement contained extensive ticketing and sponsorship information. Removed from that promotional material, the exhibition’s artistic value lay in the relationship between format, affordability and participation.
Art Off the Wall showed how a fundraiser can preserve the dignity of the work being sold.
The artworks were not treated as decorative incentives attached to a charity event. They formed the event’s centre and directly financed the institution that continued to provide artists with exhibition space.