PITTSBURGH, PA.- The Mattress Factory, a museum of contemporary installation art located in Pittsburgh, is known internationally for presenting exhibitions that push artistic boundaries. Since its founding in 1977, the museum has served as an international launch pad for more than 300 artists including James Turrell, Kiki Smith, Damien Hirst, Greer Lankton, Rolf Julius and Raqs Media Collective.
Every five years, artists who have exhibited work at the Mattress Factory during the past three decades come together to help support the museums mission through a live auction of donated work. This years Anniversary Art Auction will take place at 8.00PM on Saturday, October 18. A pre-auction cocktail party begins at 7.00PM. All proceeds generated from the auction will help fund Mattress Factory exhibitions, programs and operations.
Artists donating work to the auction include William Anastasi, Deborah Aschheim, Jo Anne Bates, Jeremy Boyle, Dove Bradshaw, Valerie Brodar, Angelo Ciotti, Mark Garry, Paul Glabicki, Ann Hamilton, David Helm, Jene Highstein, Delanie Jenkins, Shelagh Keely, Sutee Kunavichayonont, Rolf Julius, Winifred Lutz, Shawn Quinlan, Raqs Media Collective, Ann Reichlin, Diane Samuels, Kiki Smith, Kate Temple, James Turrell, Hema Upadhyay, John Waters, Barbara Weissberger, Allan Wexler and Bill Woodrow.
We hold the Mattress Factory Art Auction every few years, but we are constantly humbled by the support we receive from artists spanning the complete history of the museum, says Michael Olijnyk, Co-Director at the Mattress Factory. The fact that these artists, some two or three decades after exhibiting here and some currently showing, believe strongly enough in the Mattress Factorys mission to donate pieces to our auction amazes me. Were extremely grateful.
New this year is the ability to view auction lots and place bids online. Lots will be available for viewing beginning Wednesday, September 3, through a portal on the Mattress Factory web site, http://www.mattress.org. Then, at 8.00PM on October 18, the auction will go live worldwide via a partnership with eBay Live Auctions. Contemporary art-lovers around the globe will be able to compete with bidders on the auction room floor for one-of-a-kind works by some of the worlds most notable artists.
For more information or to purchase auction tickets, visit http://www.mattress.org or call the museum at (412) 231-3169.
