Larsen Art Auction Returns Saturday, Oct. 17 as One of Arizona’s Two Largest Art Auctions, Beginning Second Decade With Its Biggest Auction Yet

Biannual Scottsdale Event Draws Bidders From Around the World, Features Works by Ed Mell, Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Fritz Scholder and Other Renowned Artists

The Larsen Art Auction returns to Scottsdale Saturday, Oct. 17, bringing collectors from around the world to one of Arizona’s two largest art auctions. The Larsen Art Auction features contemporary, modern, southwestern, Native American and Latin American paintings, sculptures, and limited-edition prints in what organizers anticipate will be one of the strongest auctions in the event’s history.

Consignors have already committed more than $2 million in artwork to this year’s sale at the Larsen Gallery in Scottsdale (3705 N. Bishop Lane), with total auction estimates currently ranging from $2.5 million to $3.5 million, making this the largest Larsen Art Auction to date. A nationwide leader in the secondary art market, Larsen Gallery has specialized in consigning art for sale for more than 30 years while also hosting its biannual Larsen Art Auctions from its 5,400-square-foot standalone gallery in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale’s Arts District.

Bidders will also likely push more than 10 featured works past the $100,000 mark.

Now in its 21st installment, the biannual Larsen Art Auction has generated more than $25 million in lifetime sales for the 35-year-old Larsen Gallery, growing from a regional auction into one with registered bidders from nearly every state and as many as 40 countries worldwide. The most recent Larsen Art Auction welcomed buyers from over 40 states and more than 20 countries.

Bidders will find approximately 400 works of art at this year’s fall auction, including contemporary, modern, Southwestern, Native American and Latin American paintings, limited-edition prints and sculptures, with pieces ranging in value from several hundred dollars well into six figures.

Works by celebrated Southwestern artist Ed Mell will appear alongside those by internationally recognized artists such as Andy Warhol, Jim Dine, Jesús Rafael Soto, Françoise Gilot, Esteban Vicente and Pablo Picasso, as well as renowned Native American artist Fritz Scholder.

Andy Warhol, “Queen Ntombi Twala of Swaziland,” from Reigning Queens (Royal Edition)

The auction has had its share of memorable consignments over the years, with one of the most notable involving rock legend Alice Cooper, who consigned an Andy Warhol work through Larsen Gallery.

Ed Mell, “Victorian Rose”

Many of the works in this year’s auction come from collectors who have decided to part with pieces they’ve owned for years. Some are downsizing or planning their estates. Others have children with little interest in inheriting large art collections. Others yet are looking to sell some of their existing collections so they can buy something that better reflects their current tastes.

While the majority of the auction’s consignors come from Scottsdale and Paradise Valley, it also receives consignments from across the United States and throughout Europe. Every Larsen Art Auction features a different mix of artists and artworks, giving returning bidders something new to discover every six months.

“We’ve never had this level of consignments this far ahead of the auction,” said Larsen Gallery’s Mary Holford. “The response from consignors has been exceptional, and the quality and variety of the artwork already committed point to what we believe will be the strongest auction to date.”

With an atmosphere that feels more like a live sporting event than a traditional art auction, the Larsen Art Auction features award-winning auctioneer Jason Brooks, whose humor and audience interactions create a setting similar to that of the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction, but with art instead of classic cars.

Guests spend the day watching hundreds of works cross the auction block while enjoying lunch, a full bar and conversations with fellow collectors and enthusiasts.

Francoise Gilot, “Springtime in the Hills”

Collectors have also long appreciated the auction’s straightforward pricing. Larsen has a 20% buyer’s premium – one of the industry’s lowest – and eliminates the hidden fees that frustrate buyers at many competing events. The gallery also markets through art databases Artnet, AskArt, Artprice, and Artsy, making it easy for collectors to search for works by specific artists.

The Larsen Fall Art Auction exhibits all lots a full month prior to the auction and hosts a preview party Wednesday, Oct. 14, giving prospective buyers ample opportunity to see what is available before live bidding begins Saturday, Oct. 17. Live, telephone, absentee and online bidding are all available.

For more about the Larsen Art Auction, visit LarsenArtAuction.com or follow developments on Facebook, X or Instagram.