About

What is the Pretend you are rich art auction? You ask.

Well….

The Pretend You Are Rich Art Auction is no ordinary art auction. Here’s how it works: The minimum bid is $3000 – but the highest bidder gets an instant $3000 rebate! Sometimes, artist, curator, and political saboteur, J. Haley, takes the stage as the Fabulous Mr. Auction alongside a local celebrity as Mr. MC, and other times it is vice versa. However it plays, though, it is their job to remind everyone to pretend they are rich and bid like mad on the work of  amazing local artists!

We are always looking for artists to submit their work for the next Pretend You Are Rich Art Auction. New, exciting, excellent work will be considered – artists receive 50% of the sale of their work so they get to make a few bucks and have a good time doing it!

Feel free to inform interested parties!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: What is the origin of the Pretend You Are Rich Art Auction? 

A: J.Haley created six ‘no minimum bid’ silent auctions out of his home studio just after receiving his first degree (BA) through 1997-1998. His creativity was prolific at the time and not only did he need to make his rent, but he wanted his friends and fans to own his work.  No one is really sure where Pretend You Are Rich came from, but it was probably a response to people being afraid to bid one dollar for a piece of art. J Haley wanted to make the public feel confident in bidding whatever they could afford.

These auctions began in Olympia, WA, took the namesake in Albuquerque, NM, began working with art from multiple artists in Boise, ID, and solidified as an event not to miss in Austin, TX.  THE PRETEND YOU ARE RICH ART AUCTION is now growing into a National extravaganza… are you ready?

Q: Is there really a $3000 minimum bid?

A: Yes. In order to complete the facade of richness, we have made the minimum bid $3000, but the highest bidder gets a $3000 instant rebate.

Q: So you’re saying there’s no minimum bid?

A: Kinda. This is an opportunity for people who may have never purchased art before to get a chance to own local art at affordable prices. The Pretend You Are Rich Auction has a fun, fast-paced feel that engages buyers with art in an exciting, faux-riche setting. Although no minimum bid is set, the “suggested retail value” of the art will be publicized – and, in the end, artists get cash for their pockets, a creative project or space receives a donation, and buyers go home with a new piece of art. It’s win, win, win!

Q: So you’re saying there’s no minimum bid, and that you would accept a nickel?

A: There is only the minimum bid of $3000, which really does not exist due to the rebate. Our goal is to infiltrate the homes of every class of human. This is not about the hoity-toity artist with an ego on display for you to marvel at. We are the same as any who walk this planet. Our goal is to deliver, through art, a social and personal concept in hopes to elevate our humanity and hopefully bridge the gaps which cause cultural and political genocide. This is a hefty goal of which paintings, drawings, and assemblages, might not have the power to produce, but screw it, true art isn’t for the money. If we can make an object which compels someone, we want them to have it.

As we all know, though, the artist does need some cash to survive, so would we accept a nickel? Damn right… We would accept nothing, if it is the highest bid… but as an art lover why would you play this game like that? Let’s get some money into these artists pockets and get you an art deal of a lifetime.

Q: What if the work doesn’t sell for what it’s worth?

A:  We always encourage artists to bring their friends, colleagues and patrons to create a truly competitive live auction environment. In the past we have found that artists who attend and bring a few friends and colleagues are never dissatisfied with the auction process or final bid price. Think about it – everyone we know wants to buy a piece of your art and they want to pretend they are rich. Remember, artists get 50% of the auction price – this is the same percentage that many galleries use.

Even if the work does not fetch millions, keep in mind that a portion of the proceeds from the auction benefit the gallery and/or creative programs and every donation helps!