Salute to the Arts Benefit Auction returns to in-person event

After an all-virtual event in 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic, the 2022 Salute to the Arts Benefit Auction will once again be back to a traditional in-person format. 

"Last year, we did an online auction to not miss it completely but also to make it safe for everyone to still participate," says Kevin Brown, the Springfield Arts Council's director of development and operations. "This year, we wanted to give both options. We will have a live event we've all known and loved through the years, but we also have that online option for anyone who feels it's more up their alley."

The 45th annual Salute to the Arts Benefit Auction is one of the Springfield Arts Council's (SAC) biggest fundraisers of the year, and the money raised supports the Summer Arts Festival, which is free for anyone to attend and enjoy musical acts, theater performances and other live events.

"The shows' cost vary greatly, but each show costs on average $7,000 to $8,000 to bring in," Brown says, explaining that some shows cost far more than other shows. "It's definitely something we couldn't do without the support of the patrons."

The online Salute auction items are live now through 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 2, and can be found here. Brown says the SAC decided it was important to keep the online bidding option for not only people who might not yet feel comfortable with in-person events, but also for people who might not be able to attend the live auction but still want to support the arts council's mission.

The live auction event will begin at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, April 2, at Hollenbeck Bayley Creative Arts and Conference Center. Tickets are $95 per person, which includes dinner, drink tickets, music, dancing and the live auction, and are available to purchase online here or by calling the SAC at 937-324-2712.

Brown says the fundraising goal for this year's auction is $25,000.

In addition to the auction, the SAC relies on both sponsorships and the Pass the Hat fundraiser at the Summer Arts Festival to be able to continue the annual Springfield summer tradition.

"Sometimes we hear people who are confused about who funds the festival. It's the Arts Council. It's not the city or the county or the state, and it's not tax funded. We're a non-profit," Brown says. "We are very fortunate to have a lot of great people who do care about the festival. The way we do it all is with donors and sponsors. 

"This is how we bring those artist in for all the free-admission shows at the park."

This summer's 56th Annual Summer Arts Festival lineup was recently announced and includes Grammy Award-winners All-4-One; tributes acts of Elton John, Journey, and The Eagles; Griffin House; a performance of Pippin; the Springfield Symphony Orchestra; Phil Dirt and the Dozers; and much more. Shows will take place between June 9 and July 23. See the full schedule here.