Art gallery auction raises big money for little children

Walk into the Magidson Fine Art gallery today and one unique work of art will certainly catch your eye. There, hanging on the wall, is a swirl of colors, blending and clashing like the footwork of a fast tango. Arranged in a large circle, dyed blue, red and yellow, are socks.Look to the top left corner: sock.Top right: it.Bottom left: to.Bottom right: me. Bingo.Sock it to me!This is the brainchild of the preschool class at Children’s Rocky Mountain School, a group of 3- to 5-year-olds who are clearly ahead of the curve. They are the ones who are benefiting from the fifth annual art auction put on by Magidson Fine Art in Aspen. So far, the auctions have raised about $75,000 for the school.A couple of years ago, Ingrid Magidson founded the Voices of Tomorrow Foundation, a nonprofit with the goal of raising enough money to build a children’s museum at the school. Some of the proceeds from the auction go to the school and some go into an endowment.Unfortunately, “Sock it to me!” is not for sale. The work of lesser artists such as Salvador Dalí and posters by Picasso and Warhol are part of the auction. Local businesses have pitched in with silent auction items such as a snowboard, mini-billiards table, dinners for two at various area restaurants and a hammock. Bidding on art and goodies starts at 11 a.m. and ends at 6 p.m., but the real party is outside with the Play-Doh and the kids. Refreshments will be available from 4 to 6 p.m., along with seven tubs of Play-Doh for the young and young-at-heart. Auction items range from $10 to $10,000. Ingrid said her gallery has donated roughly $35,000 worth of art by local and internationally known artists for the auction this year. Magidson Fine Arts is at 525 E. Cooper Ave. Go there for the party.Joel Stonington’s e-mail address is jstonington@aspentimes.com