Auction FAQs

Auction packages and certificates are available for pickup on campus at the Auction Office located in Morris House. Please call or email us to let us know you're coming at auction@oes.edu or 503.416.9368.

The ticket price includes:

• social hour appetizers and one signature cocktail (while supplies last),
• a three course dinner,
• beer and wine during dinner, and
• the after party with a live band Hit Machine.

A portion of the ticket price is tax deductible. 

If you purchase tickets: Ticket holders can either submit a group name for a table of friends or ask to be seated with other parents from their grade or division. Any tickets purchased together will be seated together. This can be a fun way to get to know parents in your grade or division. If you have any questions, preferences, or need for special accommodation, just email the auction team at auction@oes.edu.

If you purchase a table: Purchased tables are arranged closer to the stage and include premium wine when available. Let the auction team know who will be at your table.

The OES Auction has traditionally included a theme. Some guests go all in and love to dress the theme to the fullest. Many guests are more comfortable in evening attire. And others use the theme as inspiration for jewelry, accessories, hair styles, or make up. See our pinterest board to get a few ideas. 

Channel your inner god, goddess, or ancient hero! Ancient Greek and Roman inspired elegant attire encouraged at this year's OES Auction. Please note, togas not required. Evening attire always welcome.

Hors d’Oeuvres and Plated Dinner by Devil's Food Catering
Dessert sponsored by NOLA Doughnuts
Wines sponsored by J Christopher

 

Artisan bread and olive oil

Heirloom Carrot Salad with Frisée, Currants, Cumin Seed, Mint, and Champagne Vinaigrette

 

Braised Beef Short Rib with Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil

~or~

Pan-Seared Black Cod with Salsa Verde, Agrumato, and Fried Capers

~or~

Stuffed Eggplant with Heirloom Tomato, Pine Nuts, Parsley, Garlic, and Harissa Coulis

 

With Polenta Mascarpone, Herbs Roasted Green Garlic, Asparagus, and Snap Peas

 

Caesar Cake Brioche with Madagascar Vanilla Frosting and Gold Sprinkles

Yes! We’ll mail Auction Catalogs to all in-person attendees the week prior to the event. The Catalog will also be available as a digital copy for online viewing at oes.edu. We encourage in-person attendees to bring their copy with them to the event. All package descriptions are available online via the online bidding platform.

In addition to metered street parking, City Center Parking manages the surface lots adjacent to the Museum at the corners of SW Park Avenue & Main Street and SW 10th & Main Street. Ladd Tower garage is located at SW Park & Jefferson. SmartPark garage is located further at SW 10th & Yamhill.

Or consider a rideshare or taxi to get you safely to and from the auction.

Upon your arrival, proceed to Registration where you will Check In to receive your bid card and table number. You will be asked to provide a credit card at Check In if you haven’t pre-registered a credit card.

Yes! The wine wall is returning this year and will be located in the Sunken Ballroom. A tremendous collection of over 165 bottles have been curated by auction volunteers. Buy one bottle for $25 or three bottles for $70. You’ll pick your bottle(s) by pulling a cork from a bowl with a number on it. The corresponding number on the wine bottle is yours! The Wall of Wine is only available for in-person attendees.

Live Auction bidding is available to guests attending in-person. Contact auction@oes.edu to arrange for a proxy bidder for live packages if you are unable to attend in person.

To bid during the Live Auction, hold your bidder number high until the auctioneer acknowledges your bid. The amount of your bid will be the amount called out by the auctioneer at that moment. If you are the winner of a Live Auction package, the auctioneer announces your bidder number as the bid winner. A volunteer will then ask you to sign an acknowledgement form which will validate you as the bid winner. You must sign the form to validate your winning bid. 

We require all people at the auction to be up-to-date and boosted. You are considered up-to-date if you have completed your primary series within 5 months (Moderna & Pfizer) or within 2 months (J&J) and have received your booster. If you are a ticket holder, please complete a proof of vaccination form prior to the event.

If you have had Covid-19 in the past 90-days and are not up-to-date or boosted, please email auction@oes.edu.

At the auction, all guests are expected to be masked when not actively eating or drinking. The cocktail hour and dinner ballrooms will remain under occupancy capacity to increase the ability to social distance effectively.

Doors open at the Portland Art Museum Mark Building at 5 p.m.

OES relies on its annual Auction to help fulfill the school’s mission: Preparing students for higher education and lifelong learning by inspiring intellectual, physical, social, emotional, artistic, and spiritual growth so that they may realize their power for good as citizens of local and world communities. This year we celebrate our 36th Annual Auction on March 12, 2022.

The special appeal raises funds for Flexible Tuition.
 

Submit your Livestream RSVP (it’s free) so we know you will join us. We’ll keep you informed on exciting event details. On Saturday, March 12th go online to oes.edu. We recommend you tune in with two devices - A computer to watch the livestream and a smartphone/tablet to bid and give in the mobile platform during the event.

The livestream program will be live at 7 p.m. from the Portland Art Museum Grand Ballroom. The program will be a celebration of our community and it will be an opportunity to support OES financially. We will celebrate our sponsors, hear from OES community members, and share a powerful message of our special appeal for Flexible Tuition.

To bid on an Auction Package, Class Project, Grade Basket or to secure your spot in Count-Me-In parties you must log in to the online bidding site with your mobile phone number or email address via the link sent by OES. All auction bidding will be conducted through Greater Giving Online Bidding. Bidding will begin on March 4, 2022 at 8:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m. on March 12, 2022.
 
If you are attending the event in-person you will receive a personalized bidding link via text message and email when the online auction opens on March 4. Please use the personalized bidding link to place all bids in the online auction. If you are joining the event through the livestream you must log-in to the online bidding site with your mobile phone number or email address via the link sent by OES.
 

Click your personalized bidding link to go to the online bidding page. Use the ≡ to open the menu for Bids, Favorites, and Categories.

From there you can select: 

• Favorites - Packages that you're watching; 
• Bids - See Packages that you have bid on already, been outbid on, or purchased; 
• Act Now - Sort Packages quickly by No Bids, Currently Open, and more;
• Use the magnifying glass or scroll down to search for Packages.

Within a Package:

• Use the star ☆ to save Packages for later viewing;
• Bid - Place a single bid at the next increment;
• Bid More - Place a Max Bid. The system will bid in your favor until you are outbid or the auction closes;
• Buy Now - Purchase the Package;

Multi-Sale Packages like raffle tickets or sign-up parties are sold at a set price rather than being bid on. Click Buy and then select the desired quantity.
 

Each year Lower School classes create dynamic art pieces for auction. These one-of-a-kind pieces are created with love by students Pre-K thru 5th Grade and coordinated by teachers, room coordinators, parents, and auction committee volunteers. These works of art will be on display at the Auction in the Sunken Ballroom and are available to view and bid online.

This year we are taking a new approach to Auction Grade Baskets and using this opportunity to raise funds for OES and support our BIPOC, LGBTQ, Women, and locally owned businesses. Each Grade Basket has a specific theme and is available to bid online.

Each year the auction committee secures donations for fun parties that our community is invited to participate in. These parties are hosted by community members throughout the year ahead and have a specific theme, date, location, buy-in price and maximum guest count. Secure your spot for a memorable time with friends! Spots are available to purchase in the online auction.

We have not one but two opportunities to win! Drawing to take place Saturday, March 12 and the winner does not need to be present to win. ​​Raffle tickets for a weekend at the Headlands Hotel ($50; 400 tickets available) or a reserved parking space ($100; 150 tickets available) are both available for purchase online. 

If you win an auction package and are attending the event in-person, please proceed to Will Call in the Sunken Ballroom to retrieve your package. For auction winners who are not in attendance at the event, our staff will contact you to arrange pick-up. Some items may be deemed too large for pick up the night of the auction. These items will be available for pick up on the OES campus.

Whether you attend in-person or online, we welcome donations to directly support Flexible Tuition at OES. You can make your donation in-person at the event by raising your bid card when the auctioneer asks during the program, or donate online anytime in the mobile bidding platform.  For donations above $1,000 you may choose to give by stock transfer, matching gifts or donor advised funds.

Auction - The sale of property that takes place in a public forum, involving open and competitive bidding.

Auctioneer - The person responsible for conducting a sale by auction. This person “calls” the property at an auction, recognizing bidders and acknowledging the highest bidder.

Bid - The signal to the auctioneer by a prospective buyer, indicating the specific amount buyer is willing to pay for the lot if buyer wins the bidding. Bids are legally binding.

Bid Number - The number issued to each person who registers at an auction.

Under Bidder - A term used to describe someone who bid the second highest amount, just below the winning bid, at auction.

Bid Card/Paddle - An object displaying the number assigned to a bidder when he/she registers at the auction. To place a bid, simply raise your paddle until the auctioneer acknowledges you. If you win the auction, your paddle number is recorded alongside your bid. 

Online Auction/Mobile Bidding - Auction that is held online through mobile devices.

Bid Increment - The amount by which the auctioneer increases the bidding. In general, the auctioneer will request bids of about 10% higher than the previous bid. The figure is generally rounded up or down at the auctioneer's discretion.

Buy Now - Purchase at a fixed price.

Bid Tracking - “Watch” a package to track it without placing a bid.

Proxy Bid - A method of bidding for those who cannot attend the auction. Proxy bids are also called absentee bids.

Paddle Raise/Special Appeal - Request for donations at a predetermined dollar amount. To participate, the bidder raises a Bid Card at a dollar amount announced by the auctioneer to make a donation. OES's Special Appeal is for Flexible Tuition.

Raffle - A type of contest where you purchase a ticket for a chance to win a prize.

Heads or Tails - Player pays $25 per person to play a game of chance. Everyone stands and competes to guess which side a coin will land. Players place their hands on either their head or tail. Auctioneer tosses a coin and announces heads or tails. Those eliminated sit down. Play continues until one person is left standing. Price for last person standing.

Wall of Wine - Opportunity to choose a random bottle of wine from a wall or table. Bottle are sold for $25 per bottle or three bottles for $70. Value ranges from $25 to over $100.