The Hot Springs Arts Advisory Committee hosted its inaugural "What's It Worth?" fundraiser on Thursday, offering locals the chance to have their antiques evaluated "Antiques Roadshow" style by Moran Antique & Fine Art Auctioneers.
The appraisers, located at Transportation Depot, examined a wide variety of interesting items ranging from Native American textiles to pottery and works of art brought in by those hoping to hear they had a big-ticket item.
"We are here trying to identify what people have and help them assess the overall value of the item. We're not doing official appraisals, but giving them a verbal idea of their item's value," said John Moran, owner of Moran Antique & Fine Art Auctioneers.
"In some cases we are breaking hearts. Rarely does insurance value equate to fair market value, and that's something a lot of people don't understand until we tell them," he said.
The cost was $5 per object for a verbal auction evaluation. Each person could bring up to five objects, from fine art, to antiques, jewelry and collectibles, to be evaluated by the four appraisers, who each specialized in different areas and offered helpful insight into the items' histories and possible values at auction.
According to Kathleen Fason, office manager for the city's Parks and Trails Department, visitors from across the area showed up early, antiques and art in hand, eagerly awaiting to find out the potential value of their most interesting items.
People who had large objects opted to bring photographs for appraisers to examine, Fason said.
Some of the bigger ticket items included a nude sketch done in marker by artist Milton Avery, appraised somewhere between $3,000 and $5,000; a Salvador Dali print; and a watercolor by Charles Partridge Adams that was brought in by local artist Carol Katchens.
"It was really interesting having my piece appraised. (The appraiser) knew exactly what it was and who painted it. He was able to use auction records to help appraise the value of my item. Although it hasn't increased in value, it is still worth about as much as I paid for it," Katchens told the Sentinel-Record on Thursday.
The event was set up to raise money for the Arts Advisory Committee's ongoing efforts in securing new sculpture, maintaining existing sculpture and producing the annual Upcycle Sculpture Festival, a news release said.
The committee receives a portion of its funding from the city, but found its needs beginning to exceed the available allocation.
"In this economy, where everyone seems to be asking they city for more money, we are finding creative ways to raise money in cooperation with the city so we can maintain the integrity of existing art installations and continue to proved new installations in the future without increasing our annual budget," said Michael Preble, Arts Advisory Committee member.
According to Fason, there is around $3 million worth of art scattered throughout the city, and the upkeep is not cheap. Most of the sculptures are placed outdoors, subject to extreme weather, and over time the artwork experiences normal wear and tear that requires attention.
"I think art is such an important aspect of Hot Springs. It really is part of the fabric of our community," said Fason.
Local on 11/03/2017