Society 1858 Art Auction

This year Society 1858’s auction will take place May 16-18, 2023, and includes works from local galleries, private collectors, and artists. Funds raised annually by Society 1858 support the 1858 Prize, as well as exhibition and educational programming at the Gibbes Museum of Art.

Launched in Summer 2020, Society 1858, the young collectors’ auxiliary group of the Gibbes and the presenter of the 1858 Prize, invited artists to make donations for the inaugural Give Back to the Gibbes Auction which included notable contributions from past 1858 Prize winners. A resounding success, the auction brought in nearly $60,000 of critical funds to the Museum during the initial days of the pandemic.

In 2014, Society 1858, an auxiliary group of the Gibbes Museum of Art, established the 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art, which awards $10,000 to an artist whose work contributes to a new understanding of art in the South. Presented annually, the prize recognizes the highest level of artistic achievement in any media. Visit https://www.gibbesmuseum.org/1858-prize/ to learn more.

Society 1858 has raised over $230,000 through educational programs and events supported by extensive marketing, public relations, and social media campaigns.