Art museum raises $163,000 through auction despite storm

The threat of Hurricane Ana didn’t deter hundreds of art enthusiasts from packing McClain’s Ultimate Attic for the Honolulu Museum of Art’s auction Saturday.

The museum auctioned off more than 600 works, primarily by Hawaii artists, along with pieces donated from the private collections of the Twigg-Smith and MacNaughton families.

All told, the auction brought in $163,062 in net revenue after paying a 25 percent sales commission to McClain’s. A total of $96,708 will go to the museum’s acquisitions fund, while the remainder will be used for the general operating budget.

Artist Satoru Abe’s "The Tree," a copper and bronze sculpture made in 1976, fetched the highest price, at $27,000.

"I was thrilled by the interest in the room for art made here in Hawaii," said Stephan Jost, Honolulu Museum of Art director. "Clearly there is a healthy and dynamic collecting community locally. I know that people left the auction very happy, and the funds raised will be used to strengthen the quality of the museum’s collection."