courtesy of David King                             courtesy of Matt Furie

Art sales are a competitive sport in this town. And Visual Aid’s annual art sale and fundraiser BIG DEAL may as well be the Olympics.  Part auction, part fixed-price art sale ($160 a pop) the art happening will feature 600 works of art donated by some of the art world’s hottest artists and local galleries known for the talent-spotting ability (Queen’s Nails Annex, Catharine Clark Gallery and Jack Fischer to name a few). Though my competitive spirit makes me want to cover my answers, journalistic integrity compels me to share the names on my shortlist for the sale: Binh Danh, Matt Furie and Amy Trachtenberg.

The entrance fee is $45, and though I’m traditionally opposed to paying a cover, this one’s a no-brainer: All proceeds will directly benefit Visual Aid's programs for artists with HIV/AIDS, Breast Cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. AND (not that you need more of a reason than aforementioned good cause) the food and drink sponsors alone will make sure you get a bang for your buck.

Ticket sales begin the day of at 3pm on Saturday, November 10th. BIG DEAL (4-8:30pm) at SOMArts Gallery, 934 Brannan Street. Visualaid.org