Pursuit of Happiness: 250 Years Later
Regional Artists Exhibit
Participating Artists: TBA
Sponsored by:
Exhibition and Closed Bid Auction benefiting Bennington Museum and Regional Artists
November 19 through December 31 (bidding ends on December 18)
Parmelee and Limric Galleries
Pursuit of Happiness: 250 years later
250 years ago, America declared its independence from Great Britain. The first sentence of the second paragraph from that declaration has become one of the most memorable and quoted lines in the English language: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The last of the “unalienable Rights” listed ⎼”the pursuit of Happiness”⎼ has always seemed unusual and slightly out of place in this context, though certainly not unwanted. What does the right to “the pursuit of Happiness” even mean then, and now? As we continue to strive and struggle to attain the ideals outlined for our country 250 years ago, approximately two dozen regional artists have created artwork in an attempt to answer that question.
Declaration of Independence, 1854
Homer White (1837-1919)
Ink on paper, 34 x 24 inches OA (detail)
Bennington Museum Collection, Bequest of Georgia White
A2238
How does a Closed-Bid Auction work?
The Auction: Bids placed on items in this auction will only be seen by Museum staff on the bid opening date. The opening bid on each piece will be decided by the artist. Each artist will receive 50% of their work’s sale price.
Closed-Bid Auction: Each bidder must fill out a bid card, which will be dated and sealed in an envelope and placed in the secure receptacle provided at the entrance to the exhibit, or an online bid form. By signing the bid-card or placing a bid online the bidder is entering into a legally binding contract to purchase the work of art should he/she be the winner.
After the bidding closes, the person with the highest bid for each work of art will be declared the winner and be contacted for payment and to arrange a pick-up time by January 15, 2027, at the latest. In the event of a tie the bid placed first will be the winner. To avoid a tie, we urge people to bid an odd amount such as $501.50 rather than $500.00.
