First Police Art Auction Seeks to Renew Momentum

With over 700 visitors to the pre-auction preview website, the Gaithersburg Police Foundation art auction organizers anticipated a large turnout.

"Due to the volume of activity on the website, attendance was expected to be higher. The foundation did not get the results it was looking for," said Clark Day, one of the main organizers of the art auction.

The Gaithersburg Police Foundation art auction to benefit the Gaithersburg Police Department took place in the Montgomery Room at the Hilton Hotel on March 6. In attendance were Mayor Sidney Katz, Councilmembers Michael Sesma and Judd Ashman, members of the foundation, family members and artists who donated their work to the auction.

The goals of the auction were to raise funds to offer educational opportunities to police staff; enhance recruitment and retention of officers; provide logistical support to officers; evaluate technology to support the Gaithersburg Police Department; conduct ongoing community outreach and foster trust and safety.

Keith Bryan, Foundation President, came up with the idea for the arts-based fundraiser and then collaborated with board members Clark Day and Tamara Clark to transform his vision into reality.

"I thought of this as a fundraising option because my wife and I take a lot of cruises, and there's not a single cruise ship that does not have an art auction. That is how the idea was born," said Bryan.

"We at the foundation take up where the city budget leaves off," said Day, who donated a lot of his time to try and make the event a success.

Bryan and Day thanked participating artists, introducing those who were present, including Callie Lebo, Judy Gross, Clark Day John Duke, Sharyn Bowman and Rawligh Sybrant. They also expressed their gratitude toward Arun and Aruna Singh, the generous owners of Frame Tech, an art gallery and frame shop located in Laytonsville, Maryland. The Singh's custom- framed some of the unframed pieces donated for auction at a discount.

Bryan also emphasized how important fundraising is toward the acquisition of police dogs for the Gaithersburg force. Police dogs are trained to track suspects in a crime and to detect illegal drug possession. Jonathan Bennett, an experienced handler and recipient of the Police Officer of the Year award, received a round of applause following his introduction as police dog Judah's trainer.

"Judah is the second dog we've acquired," said Bryan. "I've seen this dog up close and personal, and believe me, you don't want to cross swords with him."

"Canines are money well-spent," continued Bryan. "All the drug money we recover goes to the police department to help build up the force."

Officer John Duke submitted a life-like oil portrait of Judah, a German Shepherd, to the auction. Duke paints pet and animal portraits when he is not ensuring safety in the city of Gaithersburg.

Following a brief reception and the introductory remarks by Keith Bryan and Clark Day, professional auctioneers Roy Gregory and Tom Weschler took over the floor and kicked off the live auction. Weschler started most bids at $400. Eight pieces were sold.

"We still have a body of nice artwork that we need to capitalize on," commented Day who is looking for near-future opportunities to exhibit the remaining artwork.

Several attendees made cash contributions even though they did not participate in the auction. The artwork that did not sell at the auction is still available for sale.

To view the artwork online, click here.

To learn more about Gaithersburg Police Foundation, click here.