Berkshire Country Day School Announces Live Auction for Spring Soirée 2016: Mocktoberfest

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Gregory Crewdson, The Backyard, 2013 (c) Gregory Crewdson. Courtesy Gagosian Gallery and Aperture. Digital Pigment Print, 20 x 16 inches (framed), AP1 (Ed. of 20, plus 5 APs)

STOCKBRIDGE/LENOX, MA (04/26/2016)(readMedia)-- Berkshire Country Day School's annual gala fundraiser, Spring Soirée, will take place on its campus Saturday, May 7 beginning at 6:45 pm and feature what Co-Chair Colin Mathews is hailing as "the best lineup of live auction items." The centerpiece is the chance to own the special edition The Backyard, a special and extremely limited artist proof published from renowned photographer Gregory Crewdson's Cathedral of the Pines series. This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to purchase Crewdson's AP 1/5 from his nearly sold-out edition of 20 prints. Crewdson "transform(s) the everyday into the uncanny with a unique juxtaposition between detachment and intimacy" (Criterion), with images in our own Berkshire County that are "haunted and resonant" (Artforum). His work is included in many public collections including The Museum of Modern Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Whitney Museum of American Art, The Los Angeles County Museum and The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. At auction, his photos have "sold for up to six figures and usually in the mid-to-high five-figure range" (Wall Street Journal). Starting estimate: $4,000.

BCD will auction off two items tied to this year's Mocktoberfest theme, an irreverent take on the traditional Oktoberfest. One winner will experience the real thing with "Oktoberfest in Munich," a trip to beautiful, historic Munich. This package has everything needed to enjoy the party like a native Bavarian including exclusive VIP tent tickets to this year's Oktoberfest, a traditional and fashionable Dirndl and a Trachten Jacket, plus the winner will receive 100,000 American Express Membership Reward Points toward airfare. Valued at mid-four figures.

Guests can also bid on "Your own Private Oktoberfest," a full party for 10 people at Wolff's Biergarten and Wurst Haus in Albany, NY, giving the winner another chance to imbibe the German spirit(s). The soccer bar and friend-and-family-friendly institution is in the hip and hot Warehouse District. Valued at $1,000.

"A Very Cool Time in NYC" includes hot new threads from Seize sur Vingt, dinner at "the poster child of all that is good about American food today," Danny Meyer's Gramercy Tavern (with a "VIP experience" from the beverage director), and tickets and drinks at Andy Cohen's Watch What Happens: Live at the Bravo Clubhouse in SoHo. Valued at $2,000.

All items will be available for preview at biddingforgood.com/bcdsoiree2016 from May 1 to May 7 and auctioned live at Mocktoberfest. Bidding is open to the public. If a bidder is unable to attend the gala in person, they can make a proxy bid by calling 413-637-0755 x144 with a maximum bid before Thursday, May 5, at 4 pm.

Mocktoberfest will also feature a silent auction with 40+ items available including a basketball signed by Kobe Bryant, house seats to The Color Purple, artwork from acclaimed talents Philip Knoll and Cynthia Wick, donations from Karen Allen Fiber Arts, Second Home, Kripalu, The Mahaiwe, and much more.

Along with Co-Chair Colin Mathews, Co-Chairs Stephanie Iverson and Natalie Johnsonius Neubert predict this Spring Soirée will be well-attended and produce record fundraising for the School's Financial Aid Program.

About Berkshire Country Day School

Berkshire Country Day School exists to inspire the individual promise of every student, that each may become an exemplary citizen of the world. Berkshire Country Day School is dedicated to encouraging academic excellence at the highest level and to realizing each student's potential for well-rounded development. We provide a stimulating and challenging education in a supportive and nurturing environment. In the spirit of inquiry and discovery, students learn to be resourceful and responsible. In an atmosphere of mutual respect, students learn about community and caring for others. Berkshire Country Day School is a place where each student can meet success as a 21st-century learner. For more information about the school, visit berkshirecountry.org.