Sale Timeline
All times USA Mountain Time
April 17, 2026, 1:00 p.m. – Absentee Buyer ballot sets go on sale; La Luz de Taos exhibition opens in Taos; virtual exhibition is available online. Absentee Buyers may begin transmitting their choices and priorities for ballot placement via a GoogleForm (link supplied to you after purchase, via email). Gala tickets are also on sale.
June 3, noon – Ballot sales for Absentee Buyers ends.
June 3, 3:00 p.m. – Ballot placement for Absentee Buyers ends; no more ballot placement directions will be entertained after this time.
June 5, 5:00 p.m. – Gala ticketholders preview and exhibition closing celebration, The Lunder Research Center, Taos. No ballots will be available for placement during the preview.
June 6, 5:00 p.m. – Gala celebration begins at El Monte Sagrado Resort, Taos. Gala ticketholders receive their ballot sets upon checking in at the Gala venue and may start placing them immediately; artwork will be on display in the Rio Grande Ballroom.
6:55 p.m. – Ballot placement for ticketholders ends.
7:00 p.m. – Live ballot draw and winning names posting begins. Secret bids for the four artworks being sold in that fashion will be pulled from the bid boxes and privately reviewed to determine highest bidder for each; high bidders will be posted immediately.
7:20 p.m. – When all draws are made and names posted, a 20-minute window begins to allow winners to accept or decline to buy. Note that if a “winner” does not appear to claim the right to purchase, the right to purchase passes to the next name drawn (if any).
7:40 p.m. – If necessary, those who have been “promoted” to the top of a draw list (if the first buyer declines or fails to claim the purchase right) will have 15 minutes to accept or decline to buy.
7:55 p.m. – If necessary, one more draw will take place for any unclaimed artworks. After this draw period, or immediately if no third draw is needed, then any unsold artworks may be purchased first come, first served. Please note that the price set by the artist for each work will be the sale price; no discounts will be available.
8:30 p.m. - Onsite payment and pickup process begins.
June 10 – Shipping process begins.
What do fixed price and
secret-bid mean?
For the fixed-price draw, the price listed in the catalog is the price the buyer will pay. Unlike an auction, there is no bidding in a fixed-price draw.
For the four works being sold via secret bid, each bidder decides their final price, writes it on their bid ballot, and their bid ballot is placed in a secure box until the sale time when they are reviewed privately by CSHS staff. Highest bidder for each work wins. See the section “How does the sale work?” for additional details.
I cannot attend the Gala on June 6. Can I participate in the sale as an absentee?
Yes, see the Absentee Buyers section below.
How does the sale work?
Each ticket buyer and absentee buyer is assigned a ballot set with a unique Buyer Number. The set consists of one ballot for each piece of art. For each draw-sale artwork a buyer wishes to purchase, write your name on the corresponding ballot, and deposit the ballot into the corresponding box for the artwork when it is on display at the June 6 Gala at El Monte Sagrado Resort in Taos, between 5:00 and 6:55 p.m. On-site buyers will receive their ballot set when they check in for the Gala.
At 7:00 p.m. the process of randomly drawing ballots for artworks will begin. Up to three names will be drawn for each artwork and posted in the order they were drawn. If the person whose name is drawn first is present, they will have 20 minutes to accept or decline to purchase the artwork. (Absentees, see Absentee Buyer section below for the procedure.) If declined, or if the “winner” does not accept the purchase, the option to purchase will pass to the next name drawn. This process will repeat if necessary.
For the four secret-bid artworks: if you wish to bid on Lot 7 (by Eric Bowman), Lot 22 (by Josh Elliott), Lot 33 (by David Kassan), or Lot 66 (by Nathanael Volckening), write your bid on the corresponding ballot and place in the bid box next to each artwork. At 7:00 p.m., the bids will be extracted from the boxes and the high bid for each determined. If there are multiple bids that are the same, those ballots will be replaced in the box and the winner drawn from the box in the Ballroom. The name of the winning bidder will be posted, and if that person is present, they will have 20 minutes to accept or decline to purchase the artwork (for example, if they have won a draw sale that they prefer). (Absentees, see Absentee Buyer section below for the procedure.) If declined, or if the winner fails to appear to claim the purchase, the option to purchase will pass to the next highest bidder.
If I put ballots and/or bids in for several pieces, am I responsible for buying all of them if my name is drawn for more than one?
No, though you may do so. If you are in attendance during the live draw, you can view the winning names after the draw finishes; they will be posted next to each artwork. The same is true for the winning bidder for the four secret-bid sales. If you wish to decline purchase of an artwork, you will notify a nearby sale monitor to cross your name off the list to allow the next on the list to make the purchase. Please note that if your name is drawn as a winner or you have submitted a winning bid and you do not appear to claim your right to purchase within 20 minutes, the next name drawn or next highest bid will receive the right to purchase.
If you participate in the sale and win any draws or auctions, you are expected to purchase at least one work. For Absentee Buyers, see the section below for the procedures. Once a winning buyer is declared, the artwork is considered sold, and all sales are final.
Can I purchase more than one ticket or ballot set to increase the odds of my name being drawn?
One Gala ticket includes one ballot set, and multiples may be purchased subject to space limitations. Absentee ballot sets are limited to one per person.
How do I pay for the artwork?
All purchases must be paid in full the night of the sale unless you have registered as an absentee buyer. PayPal, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover are accepted and are subject to a 3% fee. Cash and checks are also welcomed and incur no surcharge. Absentee buyers, please see the section below for additional details.
How do I get my artwork?
If you are present at the Gala on June 6, you may take your artwork with you upon completion of full payment—it will be packed in bubble wrap. If your art will be shipped, or picked up at another time, you’ll give contact details at checkout and a staff person will contact you after June 10 to coordinate.
What about shipping?
Packing and shipping, if required, is paid for by the buyer. A staff member will contact you about expenses, choice of carrier, and coordinating delivery. Shipping coordination begins June 10.
Absentee Buyers
How do I participate in the art sale if I cannot attend the gala?
Register as an absentee buyer by purchasing a set of absentee ballots for $50. Absentee registration will be available beginning April 17, 2024, and is limited to one registration per email address. Absentee registration closes at noon on June 3, and absentee ballot placement ends at 3 p.m June 3. At the time of purchase, you will be required to supply credit card information to be kept on file in the event you are a winning buyer. Credit card information for both successful and unsuccessful buyers will be shredded as soon as the sales and shipping process is complete.
As an absentee buyer, if my name is drawn for more than one artwork do I have to purchase all of them?
Not unless you wish to. When you purchase a set of ballots, they will not be mailed to you. Via email, you will receive a link to a GoogleDoc that will record your contact information, which draw-sale artworks you are interested in and any bids for the secret-bid artworks. You will also be asked how many of those artworks you are willing to purchase, and what priority order you wish to designate. Your ballots will be placed in the draw boxes or bid boxes for the desired artworks and your instructions kept on file. During the sale, if your name is drawn for multiple artworks, your CSHS representative will consult your written instructions and decline purchase of one or more of them if warranted.
How do I find out if I won a draw if I’m not there?
You will be contacted within 24 hours if you have successfully won the right to purchase artwork.
How do I pay?
When you are contacted, you will be asked to authorize payment using one of two methods:
1. A deposit equal to 10% of the purchase price, charged to your credit card on file, with the balance remitted via mailed check.
2. Payment in full via to your credit card on file, subject to a 3% surcharge to defray fees charged to our organization.
When and how do I get my artwork?
The shipping process begins on June 10. Please note that packing and shipping, if required, is paid for by the buyer. A staff member will contact you to coordinate pickup or delivery and payment of any expense. We will ship your purchase upon receipt of full payment for the artwork and agreement on packing and shipping charges.