Locust Projects’ Executive Director Chana Sheldon spills the details on Smash & Grab, one of this month’s most explosive art fundraisers.
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Executive Director Chana Sheldon at Locust Projects.
Forget your notions of the sedate gallery event, all polite chatter and echoing halls. At Smash & Grab, the annual raffle-style fundraiser held by nonprofit Locust Projects—an exhibition space helmed by Executive Director Chana Sheldon and dedicated to providing contemporary visual artists the freedom to experiment with new ideas—attendees literally push, shove, and climb their way to a prized piece by a leading artist on the rise. As one of Locust Projects’ largest initiatives, the event supports the organization’s exhibitions and programs for the coming season, all while giving new and established collectors the chance to walk away with a masterpiece—and some raucous memories.
Where did the name “Smash & Grab” come from?
Chana Sheldon: Let’s just say it’s a pretty high-energy event. Every raffle ticket holder is guaranteed a work of art, but when their name is pulled at random, they have less than one minute to choose their piece and run up and claim it. This year, there will be more than 120 works that will all be raffled off very quickly—within one hour. That’s what makes it so, well, smashing. Because the works can be previewed at the gallery on October 17 from 6:30-9:30 pm, attendees have plenty of time to make their hit list and get excited.
How will the funds from Smash & Grab be used?
Locust Projects does six rotations of exhibitions a year, so a major portion of the fundraiser goes into supporting the creation of new work. Initiatives include our LAB [Locust Art Builders] Program, which gives young artists in the community a chance to make a real-life exhibition; the Locust Talks project, where we invite internationally renowned directors and curators to speak; and the Locust Roundtable series, a community-initiated conversation where artists have an open dialogue about ideas and how they can take form. It’s all for a good cause, but there are some steals to be had. Some of the works are valued at more than $4,000.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
An installation view from the Locust Art Builders (LAB) exhibition at Locust.
What types of art will be up for grabs?
Contemporary art—painting, collages, drawing, sculpture, photography—everything you can think of. We’ve even had video and sound-based work in the past.
How do you choose the artists that will be featured at the event?
Each year, we try to rotate the artists and focus on young and emerging talent. Some have exhibited with us before, and others know the caliber of supporters who attend the event and realize there’s a lot of opportunity for exposure.
What type of people watching can we expect at the party?
It’s a very eclectic crowd. We get some of Miami’s top art collectors, art enthusiasts, young collectors who know they have the chance to get a great work of art at a pretty amazing price, and, of course, the artists themselves.
The 12th annual Smash & Grab takes place on October 25; the ticket price admits two and is $495 for members, $550 for nonmembers, and guarantees an artwork. Locust Projects, 3852 N. Miami Ave., Miami, 305-576-8570
