SAQA'S 2009 Benefit Auction.

Studio Art Quilt Associates, Inc. (SAQA) is a non-profit international organization whose mission is to promote the art quilt through education, exhibitions, professional development and documentation. Founded in 1989 by an initial group of 50 artists, SAQA now boasts over 2,400 members: artists, teachers, collectors, gallery owners, museum curators and corporate sponsors.

SAQA defines an art quilt as a contemporary artwork exploring and expressing aesthetic concerns common to the whole range of visual arts: painting, printmaking, photography, graphic design, assemblage and sculpture, which retains, through materials or technique, a clear relationship to the folk art quilt from which it descends.
SAQA's mission is to:
• Publish a newsletter and e.Bulletin addressing the professional needs of the working quilt artist.
• Publicize information about the art quilt through a web site, Professional Artist Member portfolios, and referrals to teachers and speakers for workshops and symposia.
• Educate through a series of conferences and lectures.
• Create a network of collectors, dealers and artists.
• Produce quality exhibitions, with documentary catalogues and critical reviews.
• Encourage critical writing, research and publication of articles about art quilts in the art press, popular press and scholarly journals.

PREVIEW: SAQA's 2009 Benefit Auction

There are 234 Benefit Auction quilts donated by our members. The SAQA 2009 Benefit Auction - Part 1 will begin Thursday, September 10th, 2009 at 2:00 Eastern. Some of these quilts were on display at the recent IQF Long Beach Show:

















Last year's Benefit Auction raised $41,775. The funds raised through the Auction are critical to supporting SAQA's exhibitions, catalogs and outreach programs.
















How the Auction works:
The Auction is run in three sections. SAQA'S website shows which quilts are in each
section.















On the first day of each section's auction, the price for all pieces in that section is $750. The next day (at 2:00 Eastern), the price drops to $550. The third day, it drops to $350, then $250, then $150, and finally $75.





















The first section will begin September 10th at 2:00 Eastern.
The second section will begin September 17th at 2:00 Eastern.
The third section will begin September 24th at 2:00 Eastern.

Prices by day:

http://www.saqa.com/newsebulletins/Squares09_1.aspx
Section 1 - September 10th at 2:00 Eastern - $750
Section 1 - September 11th at 2:00 Eastern - $550
Section 1 - September 12th at 2:00 Eastern - $350
Section 1 - September 13th at 2:00 Eastern - $250
Section 1 - September 14th at 2:00 Eastern - $150
Section 1 - September 15th at 2:00 Eastern - $75

http://www.saqa.com/newsebulletins/Squares09_3.aspx
Section 2 - September 17th at 2:00 Eastern - $750
Section 2 - September 18th at 2:00 Eastern - $550
Section 2 - September 19th at 2:00 Eastern - $350
Section 2 - September 20th at 2:00 Eastern - $250
Section 2 - September 21st at 2:00 Eastern - $150
Section 2 - September 22nd at 2:00 Eastern - $75

http://www.saqa.com/newsebulletins/Squares09_5.aspx
Section 3 - September 24th at 2:00 Eastern - $750
Section 3 - September 25th at 2:00 Eastern - $550
Section 3 - September 26th at 2:00 Eastern - $350
Section 3 - September 27th at 2:00 Eastern - $250
Section 3 - September 28th at 2:00 Eastern - $150
Section 3 - September 29th at 2:00 Eastern - $75


You bid by filling out the online bid form. You can bid on up to 7 pieces at a time. First bid on each piece wins. We will then ship the artwork to the winning bidder by insured USPS Priority Mail.

Unsold pieces will be for sale at $75 in the SAQA Store through the end of October. If they are still unsold at that time, they will be returned to the artist.






















For More information on SAQA check out their site: http://www.saqa.com/index.aspx
They offer many contests, shows, and various ways to network with quilt artists. This is a great organization to be a member of, as well as to attend their events.


SAQA is also on Facebook and Twitter. And there are many SAQA blogs, for various regions. The Southern California SAQA blog is:
http://saqasocal.blogspot.com/

For More information on this Benefit Auction: http://www.saqa.com/newsebulletins/Squares09_1.aspx


Remember to mark your calendars, tell your friends, and come enjoy this benefit auction starting Thursday, September 10th, 2009 at 2:00 Eastern.



















































Lastly, if you haven't seen a reason why to join SAQA, here is a link to great reasons to join this fantastic organization. http://www.saqa.com/members/benefits.aspx
And, members can submit their work for a jury selection to be shown in one of their amazing exhibits.