Art Auctions on Celebrity

[artlovr]

Has anybody been to one of the art auctions on board? Which artists are represented (anyone we know or pretty much unknowns)? What are they selling: prints, lithographs, etchings,.....?

Thanks!

[diligaf51]

google park west galleries. they are the ones that sell on Celebrity and have the artists you will see on ship at their website.

[Nancyquilts]

Don't plan to make a lot of money selling the art later. Only buy it if you like it and want to live with it. Nancy

[Bfson]

How do you spell R-I-P O-F-F?

 

See: http://www.cruisecritic.com/features/articles.cfm?ID=302

[Schplinky]

We actually have made our own game, which is to choose one of these pictures you'd actually want to put in your home. Some/most are incredibly tacky.

[biker1972]

Best advice, don't get taken in by the auctioneer and his "advice". Look at the stuff and pass on by. I checked out a recent Pete Rose signed ball and photo which I do happen to own ( not thru Park West) that was in one of their shipboard auctions. They wanted to start the auction at $130. It sold for like $150. I had paid less than $40. Art work about the same --3 to 4 times true worth.:eek:

[artlovr]

Darn! I was hoping maybe something good. I take your word for it that the art stinks. I like to buy art but I'm picky and I see alot of bad art out there.

My boyfriend's an artist and we enjoy going to museums and shows. We both have a pretty discerning eye and we don't like to waste our time.

Please tell me the real art on the ship is decent; we were looking forward to checking it out.

THANKS for your responses. Just for kicks I'll check out the web site.

[ECCruise]

Please tell me the real art on the ship is decent; we were looking forward to checking it out.

 

Oh, boy are you going to get varying opinions on that!

[shabal57]

Darn! I was hoping maybe something good. I take your word for it that the art stinks. I like to buy art but I'm picky and I see alot of bad art out there.

My boyfriend's an artist and we enjoy going to museums and shows. We both have a pretty discerning eye and we don't like to waste our time.

Please tell me the real art on the ship is decent; we were looking forward to checking it out.

THANKS for your responses. Just for kicks I'll check out the web site.

 

They do serve Champagne at the auctions, which is probably the number one reason people go. I have bought a few lithographs (Agam, Schluss) for very reasonable prices. They were not framed, so I was able to frame them the way I wanted to.

 

I have seen people drop thousands and thousands of dollars. So either they really have an eye for art or they just have a lot of money to spend.

[artlovr]

OK I checked out the website and saw Thomas Kincade's name. That did it for me (can you say "sacharine sweet")!

I'd say most of those artist are more illustrators than anything.

I guess any thoughts of Picasso or Klee are out of the question!

[artlovr]

They do serve Champagne at the auctions, which is probably the number one reason people go. I have bought a few lithographs (Agam, Schluss) for very reasonable prices. They were not framed, so I was able to frame them the way I wanted to.

 

I have seen people drop thousands and thousands of dollars. So either they really have an eye for art or they just have a lot of money to spend.

 

After seeing what the gallery had I'm surprised that they had Agam. I'm not so into kinetic art but he's at least a pretty reputable artist.

Maybe there will be something....

I agree about what people will spend on art. I used to go to art auctions in Japan, when I lived there, and people would spend way over what the art was selling for in the gallery. I only got one good deal and that was because it was a-typical and not what people expected, so I was the only bidder.

I think people get kind of carried away.

[JanineM]

OK I checked out the website and saw Thomas Kincade's name. That did it for me (can you say "sacharine sweet")!

I'd say most of those artist are more illustrators than anything.

I guess any thoughts of Picasso or Klee are out of the question!

 

They have had Picasso etchings on our 2 Celebrity cruises, and there is always the odd Miro and Chagall. But most is very formulaic and probably not to your taste. Who knew Peter Max was so prolific?

[mprcruiser]

artlovr

You might try going to the first auction. Be sure to register and you might win something. It's interesting and you may leave any time. I have won 3 pieces of art at auctions (not all Celebrity) and I had a good time.

Jimanne1

[Schplinky]

artlovr

You might try going to the first auction. Be sure to register and you might win something. It's interesting and you may leave any time. I have won 3 pieces of art at auctions (not all Celebrity) and I had a good time.

Jimanne1

 

 

You should be aware that if you "register" they may call you throughout the cruise to come again.

[artlovr]

Thanks everyone for the feedback! It was great reading and some made me smile:)

We'll probably go in the hopes of finding something and if not to just have some fun.

[Ships R Great]

You should be aware that if you "register" they may call you throughout the cruise to come again.

 

The art auctions are fun if you like to people watch. We have bought a lot of art on the ships but only what we like. It is all hanging (almost all). We do not buy for resale. We don't buy any more because we don't have any more room.

 

But, in over thirty cruises, we have never had the auctioneer call our cabin to get us to attend. There will be flyers, reminders and even an invite in a card, but they are easy to ignore if you wish.

 

Go once and see if you have fun. And yes, they do have Kincaids but you can always take a "potty break" when they come up. We saw one lady buy nine Kincaids in one auction. She had just bought a cabin in the mountains and that is what she wanted for her walls. My taste runs more to Bellett and Fanch. But, as they say, different strokes.

[mprcruiser]

I agree with you Shipsrgreat. I have never had a call to attend an auction. I have had cards placed in my stateroom like you but no call. I usually go to the first one and then just have something else to do during the rest. It is a good way to people watch.

Jimanne1

[Luckyladym]

Thanks everyone for the feedback! It was great reading and some made me smile:)

We'll probably go in the hopes of finding something and if not to just have some fun.

 

Absolutely you should go...you have a great attitude and obviously know a bit about Art and what pleases your eye.

 

If the auctioneer is good (fun and not overbearing) it makes for an entertaining hour. You are not pressed to buy anything. We have purchased seveeral pieces in the past 50 + cruises...only those that both of us agreed would find a place in our home. We don't always go...but have found the auctioneer on occasion to be very witty and the people watching quite entertaining.

 

We have never had a phone call or any pressure to attend or to make a purchase. We have two pieces (lithographs) that we have seen in local galleries at larger prices today than what we paid 10-15 years ago.

 

There are many people apparently (not us) who really like Kincaid's work. Just take a look at all the calendars, jigsaw puzzles, etc. that are sold. Isn't Art another of those subjective things?

 

Art Auctions can be amusing...go to one, for sure, you don't ever have to go again.

 

Happy cruising,

Marilyn

[hcat]

We do not participate & find the displays clog things up-- & on some ships they are loud in the public spaces...but the gallery must make money or they would not be doing this on most of the ships---

 

I have never seen anything I would want to own--how many original Peter Max posters can be out there?

[ReaganG]

I only go to the Art auctions for the free lithographs (which are usually lame, but somewhere in the world, they are worth $50 ;) and animation type stuff. I usually can by animation stuff for around the price you would pay at a comic book convention or dealer.

 

All their art and the "Values" they quote are crap, but the animation tends to go for around $50 or so. Then you have to pay shipping. Which is a ripoff. But I've been mostly happy with my animation purchases. Remember to factor in having to have this stuff framed.

 

THe sports stuff is all a HUGE ripoff! IF you are interested in memoribilia, there are much better ways to get stuff cheaper and likely more genuine.

[Lsimon]

artlovr

You might try going to the first auction. Be sure to register and you might win something. It's interesting and you may leave any time. I have won 3 pieces of art at auctions (not all Celebrity) and I had a good time.

Jimanne1

 

My son once "won" two pieces of "art", I can't remember how much I paid for shipping but I'm sure it covered the art, packaging, shipping and still left them at least a small profit. I think they are still sitting in the closet in the tube they came in.

 

We've occasionally watched the auctions for a while, just for entertainment value, but it has been a while. On our cruises the past few years we seem to have found more interesting things to fill our sea days with.

 

We'll also walk though the galleries and the lounges where things are spread out before the the auctions, to look at what they are offering for the fun of it.

[NYCFOD]

We just got off the Carnival Miracle and Park West were schilling their wares onboard there as well. The ship was sailing out of New York and a lot of the "art" (and I use that term very loosely) had a NYC theme. I don't know what prices they were charging, but the quality of the work seemed to be no different to what you can buy from any of the street vendors or souvenir shops around Times Square - if I wanted any of that type of stuff I'd buy it in Times Square where I can comparison shop.

 

I think that buying art onboard is like buying anything else, unless you are already an expert don't expect to get any bargains. The "auctioneer" is a schill, just like the onboard port sales consultant. His job is to sell as much tat as possible for the highest price possible, nothing more nothing less. However, if you like it, can afford the price, buy it, just don't imagine that you'll be able to sell it for anything like what you paid for it. If you google Park West Galleries, you'll find that most of their stuff is mass produced in Israel and Chicago, so is barely worth the paper it's printed on.

 

If you really want to buy art, go to land based art galleries. You can at least go look at the art, go home and do some research on the internet, then go back and buy if you still want to. Unless your prepared to pay up for the internet onboard and do the investigations onboard, assume you're being gipped.