VALDOSTA —
A TALE
It started with one artist saying no to a fund-raiser. Within a month, it had become a full-scale boycott.
No artist would participate in any event, no matter how good the cause.
Don’t cast too many aspersions. For years, artists answered the call.
Say an organizer for the Milk Deprived Gallon Jug Association of America needed to raise money for all of the gallon jugs that have never held a drop of milk. She would prepare an event and approach artists about donating work for the silent auction.
Artists donated their works for years to the Milk Deprived Gallon Jug Association of America, the Follically Challenged Marksmen helping balding men shoot better, the Roosevelt Moose Guilders of Ludowici for the preservation of moose horns, and every other kind of organization and cause.
Until enough was enough. The artists gave until they could give no more. They tired of being asked to give to everything. They tired of their paying patrons saying, why should I pay this price for your work when I can wait until the 13th Annual Raise a Hand for a Hand event for a cuticle cure and buy it for $50? Or asking if the donated work lowered the value of the artists’ other works purchased at full price?
And still, it seemed, every week, some new organization such as the Boaters for a More Floatable Boat or the Cheeseless Dorito Society asked artists to donate another piece for a worthy cause.
The artists had painted themselves into a corner.
So, they went on strike, telling organizers to approach someone else for donated services or merchandise. They argued that their lack of participation would help artists assure their economic viability.
This situation led to silent auctions like the one participants discovered at the Charity Gala Soiree Benefit Fundraiser for the Betterment of All Things Charitable for a Cause.
One silent auction card read: Dr. Bob Gumption offers one free, in-office procedure to be used by the winner or any member of the winner’s family within the next three years. Includes any in-office procedure, or may be used as a 20 percent discount for a more serious condition. Bidding starts at $35.
Another card read: Attorney John Incognito offers his services for one free divorce or misdemeanor criminal charge within the next two years. Cannot be transferred for a felony trial. Bidding starts at $25.
Cuspid’s Dentistry offers a free dental procedure on any molar for the winner or a family member within the next two years. By appointment only. Bidding starts at $30.
During the 21st Annual Tenors Needing Mentholyptus Ball, one participant received a free heart transplant for a winning bid of only $83. She shared the gift with an uncle from Tuscaloosa.
At the Walk a Mile for a Camel event, a bidder walked away with free legal services which helped the winner a year later battle a series of parking tickets, with enough left over for a daughter to have legal representation closing on a new home. All for the winning bid of $98.50.
Of course, there were some repercussions. Take the artist who walked into a doctor’s office and refused to pay the going rate for a procedure to elongate the uvula. The artist smiled and said, “Oh, well, that’s OK; I’ll just wait until I can get it from you for a more affordable rate at a silent auction.”
Dean Poling is The Valdosta Daily Times assistant managing editor.
Features
When the artists went on strike
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