Working Art and Collection Selling November 23

Carmel, IN – November 6, 2013 

written by Janel Bantz, Wickliff Gallery Associate

Wickliff and Associates Auctioneers, Inc. is pleased to announce its next auction will feature original art by artist and author Violet Working, a renowned, Bloomington, Indiana, artist who has been creating art since the age of five.

Working began drawing when recuperating from a childhood illness, started painting with watercolors at age twelve, took a two-year correspondence course at age fourteen and began using oils in high school at age 17. She and her family moved to Indiana where she attended Indiana University and was later an art teacher in Fort Wayne Schools. She has been an art educator for nearly 40 years, instructing in many mediums, although her current focus is painting in watercolor and in oil.

In 2013, Working and her husband Russell Working, also a retired educator, published “Art Lesson Handbook: A Guide for Teaching Art in the Classroom and for Home Study Teachers.” The book offers instructional lesson plans and illustration pages for teachers from Kindergarten through twelfth grade.

Working’s lifelong studio work includes original graphics, intaglios, paintings and sculptures. Her work is featured in individual art collections across the country and her painting “The Peony” hung in the Washington office of a U.S. Representative.  Locally, she has shown work in two Hoosier Salon Exhibits, Brown County Art Gallery, Waldron, Buskirk-Chumley, and the Venue.  Violet is a Signature Member of the Blooomington Watercolor Society.

“I am intrigued by both color and composition as I work to project subject matter drawn from real life experiences, feelings and fantasies,” said Working. “I feel satisfaction when viewers seem to find pleasure in my art work.”

The auction featuring Working’s original art, along with Russell's collection of contemporary art and works on paper, will take place Saturday, November 23 at 10 a.m. at Wickliff and Associates Auctioneers, Inc. in Carmel, Indiana. Online bidding, absentee bidding, as well as live bidding, is available. Go to www.wickliffauctioneers.com to view the catalog and learn more.

Gallery Associate Position Available

September, 2013; this position has been filled...  Welcome Janel Bantz! 

Wickliff Auctioneers is now accepting applications for a gallery associate.  Please send resume and cover letter to writeus@wickliffauctioneers.com or mail to our office at 12232 Hancock Street, Carmel, IN 46032.  Please, no calls...

The position is hourly, part-time, approximately 25 hours per week, and includes weekend work relative to auction events.  The individual will be involved in many aspects of the business, including (but not limited to): inventory management, client services, logistics, scheduling, assisting with appraisals, moving/packing, and marketing assistance.  The individual may also be tasked with social media marketing, and/or updating the company web site, based on experience.  The position has potential for full-time status, based on performance and growth.  Please consider the following characteristics to determine a fit for the position prior to submitting application.  Compensation will be commensurate with experience among the following:


Required Minimum Qualifications:
Customer Service experience (pleasant, but efficient, manner when working with clients and customers)
Proficiency with PC based programs including MS Word & Outlook
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Self-starter; ability to assess what needs done
Ability to work a flexible schedule (will include occasional Saturdays)
Good organizational skills, and ability to work in a team environment
Professional dress and appearance
Physical ability to assist in inventory moving and relocation, within gallery and for on-premise pickups
Desire to be part of a growing company
Preferred Qualifications:
Print and Internet Marketing Experience
Previous sales or sales support experience, understands the 'language' of sales
Social Media marketing experience in business setting
Basic knowledge of digital photography and editing software
College Degree
Eagerness to understand all operational aspects of small business
Inventory management experience

Premium Qualifications:
Product knowledge of art, antiques, fine jewelry or design
Auctioneer School Graduate or licensed auctioneer
Background in Marketing and Advertising
Experience in Professional Office Environment (legal, marketing, etc...)

Bundy Oil at July Auction

JE Bundy, 24x19, O/C

BUNDY PAINTING EXCEEDS ESTIMATE

Purchased by Richmond museum for permanent collection

CARMEL, IN- In today’s unpredictable antiques and art market, one thing is true; quality still sells, and is still in great demand. 

 

This truth is evidenced by the sale of a painting entitled “A Hillside in Winter”, by John Elwood Bundy (IN, 1853-1933), which exceeded auction estimate of $3000-$5000 when it hammered for $9,500 at Wickliff Auctioneers’ summer estates and antiques auction on Saturday, July 15.

A late, last-minute addition to the auction catalogue, the painting had a label attached verso which claimed that the piece had been exhibited in the National Academy of Design.  The ‘National Academy’, as it is now known, was founded in 1825 and is a professional honorary organization, school, and a museum.   Paintings juried into the Academy’s annual exhibition are considered to be of the best quality, and the Academy’s archive indicates that a painting entitled “A Winter Hillside”, by John Elwood Bundy, of Richmond, IN, was exhibited in their annual show in 1916.  Although a slightly different title is recorded, in conflict with the frame tag on the painting, the painting offered is believed to have been the canvas exhibited in 1916.

All available phone bidding lines at Wickliff were reserved for this item, and other absentee bidders were offered the opportunity to bid live, online, or to present an absentee bid.  When the hammer fell, the winning bidder was the Richmond Art Museum, Richmond, IN, who purchased the piece for the museum’s permanent collection.  According to Shaun Dingwerth, the museum actively collects important pieces through purchase, as well as from donations.  Dingwerth said, regarding the Bundy, “This is the kind of painting we want in our great collection.”

Wickliff Auctioneers specializes in the sale of fine art at auction, and conducts monthly sales at their Carmel, IN, salesroom.  More information is available at www.wickliffauctioneers.com or by calling 317-844-7253. 

"Auctions 101-Bidding and Buying at Live and Online Auctions"

PRESS RELEASE                                     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 1, 2013                                            

WICKLIFF AUCTIONEERS TO HOST BIDDING SEMINAR

CARMEL, IN- Darin Lawson, CAI, President, Wickliff Auctioneers, will present a free seminar entitled, “Bidding and Buying at Live or Online Auctions” on Thursday, May 16, at the company’s Carmel gallery.

Designed to educate the uninitiated about buying at auctions, Lawson will discuss myths and realities about how to bid at auction, including the utilization of today’s most popular live bidding platforms.  

“Many of our first-time buyers are intimidated about buying at auction, primarily because they do not have experience attending a live auction,” said Lawson.  “We don’t sell people things because they scratch their nose or wave across the room, which is just one of the myths of auctions that many attendees don’t understand.”

The proliferation of online bidding services, such as those offered by Live Auctioneers, Artfact, Proxibid and others, has made real-time, live online bidding easily accessible, as many of the larger platforms also offer mobile apps for the bidder ‘on the go’.  Lawson’s presentation will allow bidders to see these platforms and compare differences, while explaining the registration process and illustrating the higher bidder costs of using these platforms, often through increased Buyers Premiums.

“We want more people to know about the great opportunities that exist for buying high-quality items at auction, whether they attending live or use an online bidding platform,” said Lawson.  “Typically, one visit is all it takes, and the bidder’s eyes get opened to the opportunities on the secondary market.”

The seminar is free, but pre-registration is requested.  Visit www.wickliffauctioneers.com for more information and a link to RSVP.  Complimentary hors d’oevres will be provided, and attendees will be afforded a ‘sneak peek’ of the May 17 and May 18 auction rooms.  Doors will be open from 6pm to 8pm; the seminar will begin at 6:30pm and last approximately 45 minutes.  Wickliff Auctioneers is regarded as Indiana’s Leading Fine Arts Auctioneers, and is located 12232 Hancock Street, in Carmel.  Call 317-844-7253 for more information.

Wickliff Staff News

Wickliff Auctioneers is pleased to announce two new associates who join our team in January.  Please say 'hello' to them on your next visit to our showrooms!

Gallery Associate

Elizabeth (Libby) Nolan, a May, 2012, cum laude graduate of Hillsdale College, has joined Wickliff Auctioneers, Carmel, IN, as Gallery Associate. Libby received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History, concentrating in French Impressionism.  She also has a background in photography and design.

Libby moved to Carmel, IN, in September, and previously worked as public relations intern for Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc. Wanting to put her degree to good use, Libby knew that, after her internship, she wanted to find a position that focused on history and fine art. After tirelessly researching different auction houses, galleries, and museums in the area, Libby was drawn to Wickliff Auctioneers due to the company's outstanding reputation for highest quality and expertise.

Libby began her position with Wickliff Auctioneers January 2, and looks forward to learning more about the art and antiques auction business.  In just three days, she has already proven that she will be a valuable member of the team!

Auctioneer Associate

Joshua Kublnick will join Wickliff Auctioneers staff as an Auctioneer Associate in January.  Josh will assist at auctions and at previews, and will also assist with gallery and on-site needs, as necessary.   Joshua will also join Darin at various charity events as a ring person. 

Josh is a 2012 Reppert Auction School graduate, and has extensive experience in outside sales and has also conducted sales training courses. He also has experience in law enforcement, having served as a police officer and Field Training Officer for the Muncie, IN, police department.  Joshua and his family reside in Muncie.  

He is very eager to learn the auction business, as well as to grow in product knowledge and auctioneer proficiency.  We welcome Joshua to our team!

Employment Opportunity

Wickliff Auctioneers is now accepting applications for a gallery associate.  Please send resume and cover letter to writeus@wickliffauctioneers.com or mail to our office at 12232 Hancock Street, Carmel, IN 46032.

The position is hourly, part-time, approximately 20-25 hours per week, and includes weekend work relative to auction events.  The individual will be involved in many aspects of the business, including (but not limited to): inventory management, client services, logistics, scheduling, assisting with appraisals, moving/packing, and marketing assistance.  The position has potential for full-time status, based on performance and growth.  Please consider the following characteristics to determine a fit for the position prior to submitting application.  Compensation will be commensurate with experience among the following:


Required Minimum Qualifications:

Previous Customer Service (pleasant manner when working with clients and customers)
Proficiency with PC based programs including MS Word & Outlook
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Ability to work a flexible schedule (will include occasional Saturdays)
Good organizational skills, and ability to work in a team environment
Professional dress and appearance
Ability to participate in inventory moving and relocation, within gallery and for on-premise pickups
Desire to be part of a growing company


Preferred Qualifications:

Print and Internet Marketing Experience
Basic knowledge of digital photography and editing software
College Degree
Eagerness to understand all operational aspects of small business
Inventory management experience

Premium Qualifications:

Product knowledge of art, antiques, fine jewelry or design
Auctioneer School Graduate
Background in Marketing and Advertising
Experience in Professional Office Environment (legal, marketing, etc...)

Woolsey Brothers Art Finds Indiana, New Mexico Fame

The November 10, 2012, auction at Wickliff Auctioneers' gallery in Carmel, IN, features an estate collection from the daughter of artist Carl Woolsey, Rhonda Woolsey Wolverton.  The following is a biography which details the history of the Woolsey brothers art and experiences, in Indiana, the American southwest and in juried shows across the nation. 

Raised in Danville, Illinois, Carl Woolsey moved with his family to Indianapolis in 1921 and then to Long Beach, California in 1922. By this time, Woolsey had taught himself to paint, but he also received brief instruction from the artist Henry Richter in Long Beach. In 1925 Woolsey's father, Charles, moved the family back to Indianapolis where Carl continued his self-instruction in fine art.

from LtoR: Jean, Charles (father), Carl and Wood Woolsey in Taos studio

Woolsey became intrigued with Taos after viewing an exhibition in Indianapolis of paintings by Walter Ufer, a founding member of the Taos Society of Artists. He soon started a correspondence with Ufer who invited him to Taos. Woolsey arrived there with his wife and two children in 1927 and immediately started to work painting in Ufer's studio, under the mentorship of the older artist.

Woolsey's skills blossomed under Ufer's informal instruction, and he enjoyed almost immediate critical success. His paintings were juried into the Hoosier Salon in 1927 and into the National Academy of Design Winter Show in 1928. In the following years he showed in twelve more Hoosier Salons, and participated in most National Academy exhibitions until 1936.

Woolsey's quick success in Taos enticed his brother Jean to leave for Taos in the summer of 1928. The brothers rented the former studio of Kenneth Adams where Carl painted and Jean operated a frame shop. Later that summer, their older brother, Wood, arrived with their parents and younger sister. Wood had been working in Indianapolis as a commercial artist but saw Taos as an opportunity to become a "real" artist. Charles Woolsey saw the promise in both young artists and became their manager while also assisting in Jean's frame business.

Carl and Wood Woolsey's careers flourished together in Taos. From 1928 to 1930, they sold seventy-five of the eighty paintings they made. In addition to the Hoosier and National Academy shows, Charles arranged exhibitions for the brothers in Chicago, Indianapolis, and the Milwaukee Art Institute. Carl also showed at the Corcoran Gallery, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, the Museums of Art in Akron and Dayton, and the Stanford Gallery in Palo Alto, California. Carl won many prizes while still in his 20s and 30s including the National Academy's prestigious Hallgarten Award.

Throughout his career Carl Woolsey painted landscapes almost exclusively, with even small figures rarely appearing in his work. He used naturalistic color and painted in a traditional, representational style but his often complex compositions clearly owe a debt to Walter Ufer and to the eastern modernists. With a dappled brush and careful control of light and shadow, Woolsey emphasized shape, contour and texture which also gave his best paintings a slight modernist edge.

Feeling the economic pinch of the Depression, Charles decided to move back to Indiana, perhaps because most of his sons' work was sold in the Midwest. Carl followed in 1934, being ever obedient to his father's wishes. After his divorce in 1940 he followed his parents again when they moved to Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania. Returning from service in World War II, Carl rejoined his parents and brother, Wood, now living in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. He tried painting for a time in New Haven, Connecticut, but returned to East Stroudsburg in about 1950 to share a studio with Wood.

In the years following the War, Carl continued to paint but did little in the way of exhibitions. Modernism and abstract expressionism were receiving the attention, and his style of regionalist realism was no longer in demand in the large museum and gallery shows. In the last years of his life, Carl applied his dappled brush technique to miniature paintings, expanding his subjects to include portraits, figure, and genre scenes. Carl Woolsey died in East Stroudsburg in 1965.
(republished from the archives of AskArt.com, 
Biography from Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery Santa FeTucson)