Though advanced tickets to this Saturday’s live auction benefit at Roots & Culture are sold out, you can still bid on work by some of Chicago's buzzing emerging artists thanks to the artist-run exhibition space's online auction. But you'll have to hurry, online bidding ends May 2 at midnight. Below is a shortlist of promising pieces worth investing in.
Jim Lutes
This long-time School of the Art Institute professor is a master of abstract painting. Bid on this painting from 2007, you may end up with an amazing deal and gorgeous artwork. Current bid: $2,000 (valued at $10,000)
Carmen Price
A quirky, slightly gouache, painting artist Carmen Price is called “Spam Moment.” In a nod to the famous Chicago Imagists of the 1960s, Price details a collection of objects found at swap meets, garage sales, and his email spam inbox. Current bid: $160 (valued at $400)
Kate Ruggeri
Using housepaint on a wood panel, Kate Ruggeri carves line drawings into painted surfaces creating lush, abstract image. Now studying at Yale, Ruggeri is a painter who should be on your watch-list. Expect to see her name everywhere by 2017. Current bid: $220 (valued at $650)
Carol Jackson
2014 Whitney Biennial artist Carol Jackson is best known for her leather sculptures, but over the years she has also made hundreds of tongue-in-cheek drawings based on popular songbook cover art. “Hemmorhage Ahoy” is a perfect example of Jackson’s wit and skill. Current bid: $50 (valued at $200)
Robert Chase Heishman
Recent Northwestern University grad Robert Chase Heishman offers a luscious photograph of legs in a bath. The image is framed by strips of pink tape, a signature move in Heishman’s photos. Current bid: $175 (valued at $450)