Arts & Culture

Everyone is a Collector at the Third Annual INCOGNITO Exhibition and Art Sale to Benefit the Santa Monica Museum of Art

Cash for your car

Elsa Longhauser, Santa Monica Museum of ArtRecently, LA’s The Place caught up with Elsa Longhauser, curator and Executive Director of the Santa Monica Museum of Art. The museum is preparing for its annual fundraiser, INCOGNITO (Saturday, April 28, at 7pm), a massive exhibition and art sale in which each and every piece goes for $250. Hundreds of acclaimed local, national, and international contemporary artists participate yearly in this unique event. Featured artists of 2007 include Yoko Ono, Ed Ruscha, and Raymond Pettibon.

For a modest sum, you could be the proud owner of an iconic piece of artwork AND a museum benefactor. What’s the catch? The artists’ names are withheld until after you hand over the check. Each 8" x 10" piece is signed on the back and the museum’s policy is strictly first come, first serve. That means that the eerie, comic book cover-esque drawing you suspect is a Pettibon could turn out to be a Someone You’ve Never Heard Of. You can still be proud you elbowed that buyer from Christie’s, though.

The purpose of INCOGNITO is not to confuse and torment. It is meant to tap into to the best part of any good exhibition. Viewers are challenged to "trust their instincts" and look for Art, rather than resale value. And buyers with $200 or $200,000 budgets have the same chance of landing their dream piece.

According to Longhauser, INCOGNITO’s populist approach represents the spirit of the SMMoA. She describes the museum as a kunstahlle, meaning "art hall" or exhibition space, rather than a traditional museum: "The kunstahlle is the place that ends up a collection of ideas, a collection of programs. We can be the place where ideas are tried. Museums like the MOMA, the LACMA, and the Met have to be more careful."

Though the SMMoA has a quieter presence than its city cousin, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the renowned Saatchi Gallery of London lists the kunstahlle-by-the-sea as "the Smallest Museum with the Biggest Ideas." It lives up to that reputation with INCOGNITO, now one of the most popular events in Southern California.

To learn more about the Santa Monica Museum of Art and INCOGNITO, visit . Tickets for INCOGNITO can be purchased by calling         310 586-6488           . You may also call and request that an invitation, designed by Pettibon, be sent to you by mail. To view the full lists of participating artists, visit .

About the author

Amy Grensted