Art Auctions

The annual art auctions, begun in 1950 by Professor C. Kermit Ewing as a fundraising medium for student art scholarships, provided an evening’s lively annual entertainment as “Buck” Ewing insulted and cajoled bidders to stretch to acquire pieces of art donated by local, regional, and national artists. UT Theatre Head Paul Soper often assisted Ewing. Soper’s principal role was to ensure that the auction moved along quickly and that Ewing’s comments did not become so outrageous as to discourage bidding. Each auction outdid previous ones with costumes designed by Ewing for himself as auctioneer and for his glamorous lady assistants. The auctions stopped only with Ewing’s death in 1976.