The objects an artist chooses to keep often tell a story that formal histories cannot. Gathered over decades, the works in Viola Frey’s personal collection trace a network of friendships, mentorships, artistic affinities, and shared histories.

The Artist’s Legacy Foundation and Clars are pleased to present a benefit auction offering access to this deeply personal constellation of objects and the vibrant creative community from which it emerged on June 18th, beginning 10 AM PDT.

Together, these works illuminate a remarkable chapter in Bay Area art history. They reflect the creative community that surrounded Frey and the artistic currents that shaped the region from the 1970s through the 1990s — from functional ceramics and experimental sculpture to the vibrant culture of California College of Arts and Crafts.

Viola Frey collected with care. Every work in the auction was made by an artist who was part of her extended community. During her tenure at California College of Arts and Crafts from 1963–1999, Frey taught and mentored generations of artists. Beginning as a part-time teaching assistant and “resident potter,” she became a tenured professor and helped guide the design and construction of the Noni Eccles Treadwell Ceramics Art Center, known as “the Pot Shop,” in 1973.

The expansive collection to be offered at Clars includes works by Frey’s colleagues and students at California College of the Arts as well as pieces by popular ceramicists and fine artists including Richard Blake Shaw, Arthur E. Nelson, Marguerite Wildenhain, and more. From functional pieces like whimsical tea sets and elegant vases to finely rendered sculptural work, there is something for every collector to admire in this treasure trove.

Frey’s life in the Bay Area intersected with many of the defining artistic and social movements of the late twentieth century: abstraction and figuration, Funk art, Hippie counter-culture, LGBTQ+ activism, and the AIDS crisis. The works in this auction bear witness to those histories and to the community of artists with whom Frey lived, worked, and taught.

While best known for her ceramic monumental sculptures, Frey’s artmaking spanned more than 40 years and encompassed paintings, drawings, and bronze and glass sculptures. Frey was obsessively devoted to her practice and produced thousands of artworks during her lifetime.

Her work explores social constructs, marks of civilization, and gender dynamics, and features a thoughtfully built iconography including suited men, hands, and cast figurines. Her work in clay was ahead of its time, bridging the gap between craft and fine art, while pushing the boundaries of ceramic sculpture.

The Artist’s Legacy Foundation stewards Frey’s legacy and advances the preservation of artists’ estates. Proceeds from this auction support our ongoing work to expand scholarship on Frey, care for her archive, and provide educational resources for artists planning their own legacies. We hope these works find homes who value not only their individual histories, but also their connection to Frey and this extraordinary moment in Bay Area art.