Raising Money for the Arts
- Artist: Dr. Seuss
- Medium: Hand Pulled Serigraph on Canvas
- Size: 28" W × 24.5" H
- Opening Price: Please Inquire
Dear Dr. Seuss Dealers and Collectors,
Raising Money for the Arts
To this day, Theodor Seuss Geisel, or his estate, has never made an original Seuss painting available for sale, except for one.
Professing indifference to wealth, Ted Geisel called money “a necessary evil,” thus giving away much of his. As agent Herb Cheyette puts it, “A literary and artistic genius not indifferent to the relationship of art and commerce, [Seuss] spent a great deal of thought making certain that his estate would continue to generate income to benefit society.”
In 1963, Ted Geisel donated a recent (circa 1962) painting from his La Jolla Birdwoman series to a charity auction benefiting the La Jolla Art Center. This prized artwork titled Mrs. Norilee Schneelock Poured, Miss Nesselroda Sugared, or Raising Money for the Arts in La Jolla, won the top auction bid of the night, more than was paid for a Cézanne drawing. It was the one and only time Ted offered one of his paintings for “sale.”
Today, we proudly announce the release of the Raising Money for the Arts print edition. This hand-pulled serigraph pays homage to patrons who also support the valuable role played by fine art galleries, which make it possible for us to experience art’s inspiration each and every day.
To advance Seuss’s legacy of supporting the arts, a second state of Raising Money for the Arts will be created in the future with the intention of raising $250,000 for arts organizations here and abroad.
Raising Money for the Arts finds our two granddames of good intentions elegantly nestled in deco environs, happily doing the important work of promoting the arts. Dressed in their turn-of-the-century finery, they are reminiscent of a time when the visual arts were not only fast becoming part of the common culture, but also their harbingers, Expressionism, Abstraction and Fantasy, were “like soldiers marching to different drummers.” New and exciting art forms, increasing public mobility, plus an explosion of exhibition venues, all converged to entice the masses into a newfound love affair with the arts – a 100-year love affair that thrives today under the auspices of patrons, great and small.
We encourage you to speak with your art consultant regarding this one-of-a-kind acquisition and its philanthropic potential.
Best regards,
Bill Dreyer
Curator, Art of Dr. Seuss Collection
