Live Auction Preview

Our auctioneer will be Christine Sullivan, assisted by John Hughes.

George L Mountainlion Bolo Tie

A beautiful silver bolo tie featuring the original Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum George L. Mountainlion logo. Handcrafted by docent Abe Lackow exclusively for the Museum. This eye-catching but elegant accessory is great way to show your support for the Museum, and is appropriately sized for a man, woman, or child.

Fully donated by The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum,
Value: Its uniqueness makes it precious!

In a Nutshell

Strange and curious, the monotypic genus Calabanus was named after a Shakespearian monster from the play “The Tempest”. Rare and hard to find in the landscape trade, this plant lives up to its namesake and makes for a great conversation piece. It is ideal for containers.

The container in this case is a beautiful two-piece nutshell affair from the artist and designer Larry Kornegay. The intricate woody caudex of this plant is similar to the hand-carved texture of the pot and seems as though born from it.

Winter hardy and good for sun to half-day shade. Complimentary delivery within a 50 mile radius of the Desert Museum.

Fully donated by Kornegay Design, LLC, Mervin and Peggy Larson, Erik Rakestraw,
Value: $1,050

Eye Dazzler Navajo Rug

The design in this 42 ¼" by 66 ½" hand-woven Navajo rug is sometimes referred to as “eye dazzler”. According to the Arizona State Museum, during the Transitional Period (1880-1900) from blanket-making to rug-weaving, Navajo weavers often applied bright commercial dyes to their handspun wool or used brilliantly colored commercial yarns in their rugs. Borrowing from the elaborate serrate diamonds of Mexican Saltillo sarapes, they created eye-dazzling geometric designs with this new color palette. Such “eye dazzlers” were popular with trading posts and tourist buyers. Neither blankets nor rugs in their weight and texture, they were often used as table runners, sofa covers, room dividers, hall runners and wall hangings.

Fully donated by Pamela Henderson,
Value $800

A Week’s Stay in Lake Tahoe -- A Gala favorite!

Your dream of spending time in the snow covered mountains skiing some of the best slopes can come true with this stay for six days and seven nights in a luxury vacation home in Incline Village at Lake Tahoe. This well-appointed home features 3 bedrooms, 3 ½ baths and sleeps 6 adults very comfortably. Lake Tahoe is a pristine jewel of nature. Surrounded on all sides by the Sierra Nevada mountain range, you can see on average 72 feet down into its cobalt waters.

Incline Village, located on the eastern North Shore, is home to some of the world’s most stunning mountain retreats and features some of Lake Tahoe’s most magnificent views and a genteel approach to life. Experience amazing skiing in the Squaw Valley and Heavenly ski areas, spend an evening at the casinos, and enjoy world class dining.

Dates must be reserved at least 1 month in advance. Available October 15, 2015 through May 15, 2016, excluding the Christmas and New Year holidays (December 24, 2015 through January 1, 2016).

Fully donated by Patricia Engels and Richard Medland,
Value: $3,000

Support for the Junior Docent program

The Junior Docent Program celebrates its 20th anniversary this year! Junior Docents are teens, ages 13-18, who have made at least a two year commitment to learning about Sonoran Desert natural history and conservation issues, and sharing their knowledge and passion with visitors at the Museum. Modeled after the Museum’s world-renowned Docent Program, Junior Docents (approximately 30 per year) receive rigorous training on a wide variety of topics, from the biology of bats to the social significance of saguaros and the optical properties of ulexite!

Just as important as mastering this knowledge, Junior Docents also practice and acquire confidence and public speaking skills by talking with dozens of adult strangers every day! Next year, a new element -- ecological field research -- will be integrated into the program. Many Junior Docents stay with the program well beyond the two years, until they graduate from high school, and are no longer eligible.

The program has had a lifelong positive influence on its participants. Today, Junior Docent alumni are studying Mechanical Engineering at MIT, researching cures for communicable diseases, teaching youth about environmental sustainability in Peru, and teaching middle school science. Junior Docents are asked to contribute only a small amount of what it costs the Museum to run the program. Your contribution will support the Junior Docent Program.

Fully donated by the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum,
Value: $1,000

Tropical Legacy

The elegant and enigmatic Rock Fig stands as a reminder of the Sonoran Deserts tropical origins. This beautiful specimen is replete with a pallid caudex that envelops ancient stone like melted wax. It owns its space in high relief, making for a dramatic centerpiece set in a classic stoneware pot.

It is best grown where it can be protected against temperatures below 30°F. Complimentary delivery within a 50 mile radius of the Desert Museum.

Fully donated by the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum,
Value: $1,600

Tuscany Villa and Wine Experience

Two couples traveling together will enjoy a three night stay in a winery’s guest villa located in the breathtaking countryside of Tuscany. This is the opportunity of a lifetime!

This Tuscany experience allows you to customize your vacation in the Italian countryside, right down to choosing your villa. You’ll also choose what activities interest you most -- private wine tours, olive adventures, or cooking experiences with chef hosted lunches and dinners -- and the details will be arranged for you. During your stay, you will receive VIP treatment including one-of-a-kind vineyard and winery tours, private wine tastings, and an insider’s look at winemaking in Italy’s most famous wine region. When not on the vineyard, enjoy scenic drives to the heart of Tuscany, the city of Florence, as well as other historic cities such as Siena, San Gimignano, and Pisa -- just a short distance from your guest villa.

Buon viaggio! Airfare and transportation not included. Lodging is available Monday-Friday, September through June (excluding Christmas/NYE and Easter holidays).

Fully donated by Total Wine & More,
Value: $5,000

Quartz Appeal

Behold, the Quartz Series from Kornegay Designs. These bold containers are colorful, yet earthy. Their unique patterns of intersecting planes definitely give off a quartz-like quality, making this group one-of-a-kind. Add to that, the unusual forms of Totem Pole cacti and you have a spectacular patio display.

Fully winter hardy in Tucson and can take full sun to light shade. Complimentary delivery within a 50 mile radius of the Desert Museum.

Fully donated by the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Kornegay Design, LLC,
Value: $2,100

Windstar Cruises 11-Day Spanish Serenade
September 11th — September 21st 2015
8 Night Sailing Trip for Two — Lisbon, Portugal to Barcelona, Spain- — Plus 2 nights hotel in Barcelona post cruise

Recently voted the World’s Best Small Ship Cruise Line by Conde Nast Travelers prestigious Readers’ Choice Awards, Windstar Cruises’ small ships are exactly the right size -- large enough to pamper and entertain you, yet small enough to tuck into the tiny harbors and hidden coves others can’t reach.

This sailing on the STAR LEGEND, newly inaugurated in May of 2015, has only 212 passengers. Your Ocean View Suite welcomes you in 277 square feet. Your queen bed (which can be separated as twins if you prefer) features luxurious Egyptian cotton linens. Enjoy a luxurious soak in your full-size tub or an invigorating shower, then wrap up in your waffle-weave robe and slippers, savor a treat from the fresh fruit bowl, or simply stretch out and enjoy the fresh flowers. Your cruise includes all on-board meals in all venues including the room service menu available 24 hours a day with all non-alcoholic beverages, including cappuccino, espresso, and other specialty non-alcoholic drinks. There is entertainment, a fitness center and a water sport deck with sports equipment.

Your Itinerary begins in Lisbon on the 11th of September at 5pm.
Day 2 Portimao, Portugal once a Moorish capital
Day 3 you will sail up the Guadaquiver River to Seville
Day 4 Gibraltar, a British Territory and home to the Barbary apes
Day 5 Malaga the center of the Costa del Sol, home to Picasso and beautiful beaches
Day 6 Almeria only 2 ½ hours from Granada
Day 7 AT SEA
Day 8 Mallorca: Bolero, Fandango, and Other Works of Art

At the end of your tour, you’ll be treated to a delicious menu of tapas on the terrace — which you can enjoy the traditional way, with a glass of Casa Mariol vermouth, or with wine, beer or mineral water. As you relax, the entertainment prepared exclusively for our Windstar Private Event guests begins: the Ball de bot, spectacular choreography performed by 30 talented artists. These Mallorcan folk dances include the bolero, the jack, the fandango, and the copeo. A perfect ending to a lovely day in Palma.

Day 9 Barcelona arrival 8 am and the beginning of two nights in this magical city of paella, flamenco, and Antonio Gaudi’s architectural wonders.

Every day will have informative port lectures and destination briefings
Optional shore excursions available
This is a journey for two lucky sailors and is truly 180 degrees from ordinary
Return home on the 21st of September
Does not include airfare

Fully donated by The Martin Foundation,
Value: $18,540

Supersmith 14K Gold and Gaspeite Link Bracelet

From the jewelry collection of Supersmith, Inc., this is a one- of-a-kind bracelet designed by Native American craftsmen from the Navajo tribe. Six exquisite 14 karat rectangular gold channel links feature hand crafted gaspeite inlay by Navajo artisan Peterson Chee. At 7½" long it’s both elegant and delicate. The bracelet is finished with a hinged box clasp and safety latch.

Fully donated by Native & Nature, Inc.,
Value: $4,000

36” Boxed Landscaping Tree - Cascalote (Caesalpinia cacalaco)

Native to tropical Mexico, Cascalote (cas-cah-LOH-tay) is a large woody shrub that may be trained into a small to medium-size patio tree. It may ultimately reach 15' or more in height and width. It is covered with glossy green leaves, but in Tucson it may be winter deciduous. Cascalote produces large spikes of clear yellow flowers at the branch tips from late fall through the winter months, followed by attractive copper-colored seedpods. Yellow flower spikes cover the entire tree, much to the delight of homeowners and pollinators alike. It grows best in full sun and well-drained soils. The thick, rose-like thorns are attractive (at a distance), but as a patio tree can be an issue. It will thrive throughout hot summers, and though it will handle light frosts, this species may suffer frost damage when temperatures drop into the low 20’s. Cascalote trees are becoming increasingly popular throughout the southwest. Native to Mexico. Use as an accent, specimen, for its flower and seed pod color, or as a screen or barrier.

Delivered and planted within the Tucson Metropolitan area by AAA Landscaping.

Fully donated by AAA Landscaping,
Value: $1,500

One Week Stay at Solitude Cabin in Greer, Arizona

Enjoy a one-week stay at Solitude Cabin. A perfect getaway in the tall pines of Greer, which features a large family room with fireplace, full kitchen, and large decks. The Solitude Cabin has 4 bedrooms plus a loft and sleeps up to 12 people.

Dates for one-week stay to be coordinated with the owner.

Fully donated by Weddle Gilmore Black Rock Studio,
Value: $2870

Windswept Beauty

Nature meets nurture in this beautiful bonsai arrangement. This Torote, or Elephant Tree (Bursera filicifolia), native to Baja California Sur, appears ancient and windswept. But, it is no accident, as this plant has been trained and nurtured for decades by Desert Museum staff to resemble the work of nature’s fickle hand. A true living sculpture.

Can take all but the most intense afternoon sun to moderate shade. Best to protect against temperatures below 24°F. Complimentary delivery within a 50 mile radius of the Desert Museum.

Fully donated by the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum,
Value: $1,200

Stone Cactus Waterfall

This wonderful, custom sculptural water fountain is purely Southwest in style and beauty. Add the sound of a trickling stream to your yard or patio with the hand-made Mexican Fencepost cactus, fashioned from glass fiber reinforced concrete. Fountain stands approximately 42" tall and includes a remote control for easy on-off operation. Doesn’t this give real meaning to “Water in the Desert”?!

Complimentary delivery within a 50 mile radius of the Desert Museum.

Fully donated by the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and Stone Cactus Fountain,
Value: $925

Private Party at the Desert Museum

Celebrate your next birthday, anniversary, graduation, retirement, or other milestone and introduce your loved ones and colleagues to the magic of the Desert Museum with a private party on grounds! The Desert Garden is a beautiful venue featuring shaded seating areas, an abundance of desert plants, and the quiet burble of two water features that combine to create a welcoming and festive atmosphere.

Two party options to choose from: an adult margarita party with hors d’oeuvres featuring indigenous ingredients, or; a children’s party complete with pizza, ice cream, and cake. Your party will also include a visit from animal guests from the Museum’s interpretive animal collection such as a Harris’s hawk, barn owl, ringtail, porcupine, chuckwalla lizard, or even a tarantula! This will be an event that you and your guests never forget!

Maximum 16 people. Must be scheduled at least 1 month in advance at a mutually agreeable date and time pending availability.

Fully donated by the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum,
Value: Priceless!