A 2013 oil painting, of a majestic bald eagle swooping down over crystal blue water, sold for nearly a quarter million dollars this weekend at the Carter Center’s annual fund-raising auction.
No surprise, considering the artist — former President Jimmy Carter.
To be exact, the painting sold for $225,000. It was part of the $2.4 million raised this past weekend at the 2023 Carter Center Weekend. The annual retreat uses donations and auction sales to support the Atlanta-based nonprofit’s humanitarian work.
“We were thrilled to have so many loyal supporters come to our hometown for Carter Center Weekend for the first time in its 31 years,” said CEO Paige Alexander. “Their generosity will help us improve health, protect human rights, advance democracy, and address mental health around the world.”
The weekend, held for the first time in Atlanta, included live and silent auctions, as well as a town hall with the center’s senior leadership, presentations by staff, and a variety of events focused on Atlanta history.
The biggest-ticket item from the live auction was a portfolio of poetry and artwork on the subject of human rights featuring the works of the Dalai Lama, Maya Angelou, Bob Dylan, Yoko Ono and Tom Wolfe. It sold for $500,000.
The highest bid from the silent auction was $20,000 for an acoustic guitar signed by singer Don Henley of the Eagles.
Other items that drew top bids included:
• Two copies of a cartoon titled “My Caregiver” by Atlanta Journal-Constitution cartoonist Mike Luckovich, $105,000 each.
• Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter fly-fishing memorabilia, $100,000.
• A guitar autographed by British rock band the Moody Blues, $35,000.
• A limited-edition print of the painting “True Blues” by Andy Thomas, signed by former Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, $34,000.
• The Jerome Lawrence painting “Iris Garden,” $31,000.
• A luxurious weeklong stay in Provence, France, with airfare, $26,000.
• Quilt and quilt ladder crafted by Carter grandson Josh Carter and his wife, Sarah Carter, $25,000.
• Photos of the dedication of the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, signed by President and Mrs. Carter, $25,000.
• “The Dream Fulfilled” memorabilia, featuring the signatures of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and former President Barack Obama, $25,000.
• Archbishop Desmond Tutu memorabilia, $22,000.
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