The 25th annual Benefit Dinner and Silent Art Auction took place this past Saturday at the North Dakota Museum of Art. Artists from all over the surrounding area including Winnipeg and Missoula, Mont., showed off their work at the event. I was able to take a sneak peak at the selected art works before the dinner.

This benefit is positive for everyone involved. The artists and the nonprofit museum split the proceeds of the artwork. The museum supports a plethora of employees, and through events such as this, it is able to keep the lights on. It also gives artists an opportunity to gain recognition for their work and make some extra cash.

I saw many familiar names while I perused the two parallel sections of the museum. Guillermo Guardia had one of his many finely crafted demon baby sculptures. It was refreshing to see work that addresses social problems in approachable and entertaining ways.

These morphed figures of infant soldiers helps remind us of the terrors of war, particularly in third world countries. I found myself battling with the way the the matte finished war paint on a sculpture flattens to creates a two-dimensional effect. I had to take more time to walk around the figure to appreciate it in different angles.

Another artist, Jesse Thorson, first appeared on my radar at the last The Art of Giving show. I believe she was very successful in selling most of or all of her artworks she entered in the auction. For the dinner, she submitted a humorous image of a Black Bear in royalty clothing and a raccoon tail headband. These calm animals stare back at the viewer in front of a stark black background. She seems to have a strong grasp of painting fur texture, and has found a successful color scheme in these deep toned compositions.

Brian Paulsen, a distinguished UND professor, has been around the Grand forks area for quite some time. I always enjoy seeing his finely tuned watercolor drawings. I say drawings because they contain a pencil-like accuracy. It’s nice to see Paulsen come and go from Hughes Fine Arts Center as he continues to create.

I recognized several other names such as Gretchen Kottke, Mollie Douthit, Kim Fink and Adam Kemp. There also were several works that caught my eye enough for me to keep a lookout for them in the future. Sarah Hultin’s “Overcast” was one of these. I am usually not too drawn to blurry images of landscapes, but her methods of application felt original. Using the palette knife and almost plaster-like application of paint, she had me peering into the image and getting lost in the scene.

The artwork was carried around for the dinner participants to bid on. At the end of the night all the artworks are sold to their highest bidder. A plate at this dinner was $125, and the meal was crafted by the cook from the museum’s renowned cafe who worked with UND dining services to create these expensive servings of food.

While I was touring the art, I overheard people trying to get a reservation, but the event was already sold out. I shouldn’t be surprised an event like this would be so successful. The benefit provides its guests with a wonderful evening and an opportunity to support the arts.

Billy Rerick is the cartoonist for The Dakota Student. He can be reached at [email protected]