Auction on the Alley

Register to BID

To place bids for Auction on the Alley, the first step is to create an account. Begin by clicking the "register" button or "register" on the menu bar. Next, choose your tickets. You can choose the free register to bid option and/or choose the VIP Ticket. We encourage you to choose both tickets if you plan to attend the grand finale on Thursday, May 29th. At the bottom of the ticket window, you will have another option to donate to IA&A. Once you have selected your options, you will see a summary of your tickets and the option to enter a promo code, if applicable. Click the Next button. You will then have the option to purchase store items in the form of catalogs that are available through IA&A's traveling exhibition service. These items are not bids, so you can pick them up right away at the Hillyer Contemporary Art Space. Click the Next button. Enter your details, which include your email and mailing addresses. You can also specify if you are an individual or company. You will be prompted to enter a phone number if paying for a VIP ticket. Once you arrive at the final window, you will be prompted to enter your credit card information. Once you complete these steps, you are ready to bid. As an alternative to the web-based version of the site, you can also download the Givi App. The app is available in the Apple Store and Google Play Store.

Browsing the Works of Art on View

Use the web browser on your desktop computer or mobile phone to access the auction website. On the desktop select the items menu and on your mobile phone select the hamburger menu (the stack of lines at the top) and then select items. Once you are on the items page, you can browse all of the artworks that are available to accept bids. Before you begin bidding, you can start by adding works of art to your watchlist. You can do so by selecting the ribbon symbol that is adjacent to the bid number. You will also see links to artist biographies and video interviews to learn more about the artists.

Placing a Bid

To place a bid, you must log in and have a payment method recorded in the system. From there, the process is easy. Once you are ready to place a bid select the Place Bid button beneath the artwork. Some items will already have bids, while others will say Be the first to bid! When placing a bid, you will be prompted to place the starting bid price or select from recommended bid amounts that are usually in increments of 20, 50, or 100. Once you have decided, register your amount. Once you place your bid, a button will appear that indicates you're winning. You will also be presented with the option to Place Max Bid to make it tougher for your competitors. If someone else places a higher bid, you will receive a message that states that you have been outbid. If you win an item, you will receive a message that says You Won! Since bids can be placed throughout the month, each item will display the number of days, hours, and minutes that are remaining before bids close.

Shipping and Artwork Pick-Up

All artwork that receives successful bids will be available for pick up Friday, May 30 through Monday, June 2. The cost for shipping artwork out of town is not included in the bid price, so the shipment of artwork must be arranged between the bidder and the artist. Hillyer staff will be on hand to facilitate this process. Artists will work with Hillyer staff to package the work in advance of the artwork pick up date. The address for artwork pick up is: 9 Hillyer Ct NW, Washington DC 20008. Contact Tim Brown, Hillyer Director, for further assistance. 

Purchasing Artwork After the Auction Closes

Some artwork may still be available after the auction closes based on the discretion of the artists. Please send us a notification no later than the end of the day on Friday, May 30th. This will give us time to make arrangements with the artists to hold the artwork until the end of the day on Monday, June 2, which is the final day for artwork pick up.