Up for bid: 20th annual auction raises dollars for metal arts

For two decades, Boise State's Art Jewelry and Metalsmithing department has hosted an annual auction of pieces handmade by students and alumni.

The auction plays a critical role in sustaining the program, said Professor Anika Smulovitz. It generates approximately one-third of the annual revenue needed to operate the metals studio in the Center for the Visual Arts, supporting the purchase of supplies, tools, and equipment, as well as funding visiting artist workshops.

This year's silent online auction closes at 8 p.m., MST, on April 10. See pieces and bid on the sale website.

The 2026 sale features more than 20 pieces inspired by the theme: cabinet of curiosities. Historically, a cabinet of curiosities is a collection of odd and frequently mysterious objects that blend art and science. In keeping with that spirit, the Boise State sale is rife with sea creatures, anatomical studies, insects, botanical beauty, humor and more. Most of the pieces are wearable and demonstrate skills learned in classes on campus - cold connections, soldering, patination, enameling, stone setting, chasing and repoussé (creating low-relief designs by hammering) and working with alternative materials.

A different kind of challenge

The auction project, Smulovitz said, approaches collaboration differently than typical metals coursework. Students arrive to class with a cut metal silhouette developed from a shared theme, then spend two and a half hours working in a round-robin. Each student works on the silhouette for 30 minutes before passing it on. By the end, five different students have shaped each silhouette in some way. In a final exchange, students receive a piece they haven't worked on. Their challenge: resolve it into a finished object that might attract a buyer.

"The auction engages students in both an exhibition and an online event that they actively promote and take ownership of, providing valuable professional and organizational experience," Smulovitz said.

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