“Loyalist Burial Ground” by Miller Brittain. When this story was published, the top bid was $44,000. Image: submitted.
This year’s art auction hosted by Liz Isaac & Citadel Gallery Auctions will be held exclusively online, reflecting how the auction world has adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Antique appraiser Liz Isaac says online auctions have become a mainstay during the pandemic around the world.
“It’s been excellent online. I never thought I would say this, being a person who loves dealing with the public and has done so for 50 years,” adds Isaac.
“Most people like it, some people still have a little bit of difficulty understanding how it works, but we’re happy to walk them through it, talk about it and give them instructions.”
This year’s art available at auction include Miller Gore Brittain paintings from the estate of Brittain’s daughter, Jennifer Ruth Brittain, art by Christopher Pratt, Alex Colville, Hughson Hawley and Ulysse Comtois and sculptures by Libby Shackleton and Shaa Agjangajuk.
Saint John Simms Brush Factory watercolour by Hughson Hawley (1917) (Submitted)
Social media platforms like Facebook have helped Liz Isaac’s Appraisals and the Citadel Gallery Auctions grow their followings on their websites during the pandemic.
One example of the social media halo at work was when Isaac was researching the female artist Linnie Watt (1874-1908). Isaac had an oil painting by the British artist at the gallery.
“Mario [Brideau] posted about the painting on British Isles Facebook page and all of a sudden we have over 9,000 people hitting the site because of this one artist,” she said. “In the era of social media like Facebook, you can take it so much further.”
While Isaac is unsure what form Citadel Gallery auctions will take in the future, she believes live auctions will always be a part of auctioneering. She has had many people tell her they miss the live auctions.
Liz Isaac & Citadel Gallery Auctions uses the bidding website HiBid.com for its online auctions, which takes the place of the Saint John Trade and Convention Centre. Isaac says bidders loved how they could place bids on a Sunday afternoon from their living rooms or kitchens.
“It cost us about the same amount of money to have HiBid host as it would to rent the Trade Centre,” Isaac added, with the gallery continuing to place absentee bids for clients as they would do at live auctions.
Online auctions have also provided local art with a platform for greater exposure and awareness on an international scale.
“With social media, we’re building that interest all the time, and hopefully making some of those international people aware that there was some very, very good art coming out of the Maritimes and coming out of Canada,” she said.
Anyone interested in learning more about the auction, the works themselves and the deadline to submit bids, can check out the auction catalogue.
This story was originally published on Huddle.Today – an Acadia Broadcasting Limited content partner.
