The Hokin Gallery is exhibiting photographs and artwork that will be auctioned as part of the annual Darkroom Auction, a fundraiser for the Museum of Contemporary Photography.
The works on display are donations from artists around the world, including past faculty and alumni. They are not part of the museum’s permanent collection.
The preview exhibition runs through Monday, Feb. 23, after which the work will be reinstalled on the fifth floor of the Student Center for the auction party on Thursday, Feb. 26.
“I wanted students to have access to see the work,” said Mark Porter, senior exhibition coordinator.
The walls of the gallery are lined with photographs, some dating back to the 1970s. One painting depicts a man made of red and yellow flowers.
The Darkroom Auction has been held since the early 2000s. This year, it features 55 pieces from artists and photographers, most of them Columbia alumni, faculty or retired faculty.
One of the featured artists is Clarissa Bonet who graduated from Columbia with an MFA in photography and another is retired faculty member and photographer Alice Hargrave.
“A lot of people in this auction this year to celebrate the museum’s 50th anniversary do have a really strong relationship to the museum because of Columbia,” said Natasha Egan, the museum’s executive director.
Egan noted that the auction is tied to the 50th anniversary of the museum. She said that this year, the auction represents the growth of the museum and its influence in contemporary photography.
“We’ve just carved out this space where people really respect what we’re thinking and what we’re showing at the museum,” she said.
The MoCP receives its funding primarily from outside sources. This includes grants, annual fundraising campaigns and events. In the past, they’ve held benefit parties which are sponsored by individuals and corporations. The museum also sells books through their shop.
For Jaclyn Silverman, development manager at the MoCP, this year’s auction will celebrate the many people involved in the world of contemporary photography in the city.
“We bring together about 400 people to really celebrate MoCP, Columbia photography and what it means here in the city of Chicago,” Silverman said.
Copy edited by Katie Peters
