Last weekend the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity hosted their seventh annual Red Dot Auction, a fundraiser for creativity. It’s a pretty remarkable event and a personal favorite. Each year is unique, and the artists who “anonymously” donate works range from those at the height of their careers to those who are hobbyists. Regardless, it’s all given in love, and the supporters, donors, and sponsors of the Center have an opportunity to own a work of art (or works of art) without the pressure of “who is this artist?”; they’re bidding and winning out of love. You can’t beat that.
Top left, artist James C. Mulligan with his performance work, “Glitter Bugs” and Craig Kausen, Chuck Jones’s grandson, and the chairman of the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity. Taken on Red Dot Auction preview night, Friday, May 5. (Photo by Stephen Russo)
Bottom: “Bugs Standing with Carrot”, one of the very first hand-painted cel art editions by Chuck Jones. The original line was drawn by Jones, then he hand-painted the cleaned-up line with India ink. That ink line was then Xerox-graphically transferred to an acetate sheet and individually hand-painted by expert cel painters. Linda Jones Clough, Chuck’s daughter, designed and made the backgrounds with collage and spray paint.