THE 2024 ANNUAL GALA AUCTION
is now open!
Bid for incredible artwork, jewelry, travel experiences, and more.Our online silent auction is a wonderful way to help protect threatened wildlife in southern Africa — and pick up holiday gifts for friends and family, too!
The full auction catalog is available here:
The silent auction closes at approx 10:00 PM EST on Friday, November 15. The live auction will be held during the gala (get a friend in the room to bid for you!)
If you would like to attend the gala at The Plaza Hotel in person, click here to purchase your tickets or donate in lieu of attending.
Here are close-ups of a selection of the incredible art and jewelry, and travel experiences up for grabs this year.
ARTWORKS
Lot #1005 LIVE AUCTION - WILD LEOPARD ZAWADI - FINE ART PORTRAIT BY MARTIN MEYER
37 x 46" Framed Fine Art Photo - limited edition.
This stunning portrait of a wild leopard named Zawadi was taken by Wild Tomorrow’s Ambassador, South African photographer Martin Meyer & will be auctioned live.
The African leopard is the iconic predator of Wild Tomorrow's Greater Ukwuela Nature Reserve, and the logo of our Reserve. This exquisite fine-art print will fund the protection and restoration of habitat for leopards and all species who share their wild spaces in our region.
Martin Meyer is a renowned South African wildlife photographer with a passion for conservation which he channels as an Ambassador for Wild Tomorrow. "I am privileged to share in the magic moments," says Martin, "and hope to share what I feel with others to encourage them to get involved in conservation and play their part."
Lot #1004 LIVE AUCTION - ORIGINAL OIL PAINTING "GLIMPSE INTO NATURE" BY SOUTH AFRICAN ARTIST, LEIGH BISSETT
Oil on linen. (39" x 59")
Leigh Bisset's beautiful oil painting shows the Mzinene River and fever trees on Wild Tomorrow's Greater Ukuwela Nature Reserve. In this painting, layers of thin pigment have been applied to raw linen, with much left to the imagination. The result is a dreamy mirage, an authentic and timeless glimpse into the serenity of Africa. The fever trees, with their distinctively iridescent bark, and the lush palms of the coastal belt, draw the viewer into a moment of exhalation.
Leigh Bisset is an international artist based in our province, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, with a passion for creating art that uplifts above the chaos around us. Her work is inspired by her connection to ocean and land. “My studio is a sanctuary amid the noise, cynicism and chaos around us. My objective is to create work that moves and uplifts. The world can be dark and politicised – my hope is that my art compels the viewer to be present in the beauty of their surroundings, and essentially, to feel joy.”
Leigh’s art has been featured on the pages of Garden & Home UK and South Africa, and commissioned works are on display in private homes around the world including Dubai, the UK, Australia and South Africa.
www.leighbissetcreative.com
Lot #201 “Les Vieux Amants” by Jean Marc Calvet
Original Acrylic Painting 65 x 54cm (25.5” x 21.2”)
Jean-Marc Calvet is a contemporary painter whose work is present in the permanent collections of museums and foundations around the world. Calvet's incredible life story began as a street kid turned Cannes bodyguard who abandoned his family, robbed a Miami mobster, hid out in Central America and at the age of 38 overcame addictions through an extraordinary metamorphosis in which he began to paint. His work deals with his sorrow and incomprehension of the world, a saving cry that relieves him and gradually leads him towards a return to life. Like an exorcism, painting becomes a drug with saving power. A documentary film was made about his life ,"CALVET", which won awards at multiple international films festivals.
Click here to bid now (starting bid $800)
www.jeanmarc-calvet.com
Lot #204 Original ballpoint pen drawing, "Gorilla," on heavy art paper by Norma-Jean Bothmer. (17" x 17".)
Norma-Jean Bothmer is a 90-year-old artist based in New York City, and the great aunt of our project manager Tori Gray!. Her drawings have been exhibited at Art Rotterdam and her work is in the permanent collections of Finch College Museum and The Brooklyn Museum. Bothmer's work has been reviewed by The N.Y. Herald Tribune, Money Magazine, Art News, Art International, Arts Magazine, Time Magazine, and The New Yorker and has been included in the following books: "My Life in Art" by Katherine Kuh, "On Drawing" by Roger Winter, and "Drawing Papers 67" by The Drawing Center. She taught drawing at Columbia University School of Architecture.
Click here to bid now (starting bid $250)
Lot #207 - “The Herd Approaches” by John Rocco
Our Wild Tomorrow ambassador and co-founder of the Children’s Book Creators for Conservation (CBCC), John Rocco, created this stunning illustration for his upcoming book, The Waterhole. John Rocco is a #1 New York Times Bestselling illustrator of many award winning children’s books. He is best known for illustrating the covers for Rick Riordan’s Internationally bestselling series Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Most recently, Rocco has collaborated with his wife, Hayley (fellow Wild Tomorrow Ambassador and co-founder of the CBCC) on several award-winning books focusing on conservation and animal welfare.
Click here to bid now (starting bid $300)
www.roccoart.com
A Series of Special Artworks created with love by the children of Mduku
Wild Tomorrow supports three kindergartens and orphaned children who live in the Zulu community, Mduku, which lies across the floodplain next door to our nature reserve. Earlier this year, our reserve manager Sibiya Siyabonga, and head of housekeeping Sena Mdluli, led the children in a wildlife-inspired art class to make acrylic prints of their favorite animals found at Ukuwela. Help them to support Wild Tomorrow by purchasing their handmade prints!
Lot #202 - Limited edition “Impermanence” portfolio of six wildlife fine art prints by Sophie Green (each 15.7" x 11.8")
“Sophie Green’s hyper-real portraits invite the viewer to stand eye to eye with some of the world's most endangered animals.” - National Geographic
This sold-out limited-edition set is a collectors item as a box set, or would look beautiful framed on your walls. The collection was printed on the occasion of Green’s “Impermanence” exhibition at the Oxo Gallery in London in 2022. The exhibition raised tens of thousands of pounds for climate change-focused conservation projects worldwide.
Sophie Green is a contemporary artist, environmentalist, and conservationist from the UK known for her hyper-realistic animal paintings and animal advocacy.
www.sophiegreenfineart.com
Click here to bid now (starting bid $260)
Lot #601 and Lot #602 - "Thank You Moon" framed & signed illustration prints by Jessica Lanan
Jessica Lanan is an author, illustrator, painter and advocate for literacy, art and science based in Boulder, Colorado.
These magical framed prints, signed by Jessica, are from "Thank You Moon: Celebrating Nature's Nightlight," illustrated by Jessica and written by Melissa Stewart. It sheds light on the mysterious ways the moon affects life on Earth.
Lanan's aim is to help young readers discover the beauty and diversity of their world by creating picture books that are inspiring, accessible, and memorable. She visited Wild Tomorrow’s reserve last year as part of the first Children’s Book Creators for Conservation (CBCC) volunteer group of children’s book authors and illustrators who share a love of the planet. They use their talents to support conservation efforts, and believe that protecting biodiversity and rewilding our planet is essential for a better tomorrow.
www.jessicalanan.com
Click here to bid now on her magical artworks.
TRAVEL EXPERIENCES
Lot #101 - Balkan Mountains Royal Getaway for 4 in Bulgaria
Treat yourself and three friends to a luxury three-night retreat in the beautiful Balkan Mountains! Savor the rich history and cultural heritage of Bulgaria’s idyllic medieval capital, Veliko Tarnovo, “the City of the Tsars.”
www.beyhouse.com
Package includes:
* 3 nights’ accommodation for 4 guests (across 2 rooms) with breakfast at Bey House’s Royal Hotel
* 8-course dinner at Bey House restaurant
* Spa package at the private hammam (Turkish bath)
* Private sound and light show with champagne toast
* Airport pickup and drop off from Sofia (Bulgaria) or Bucharest (Romania)
Built in 1864 and lovingly restored and modernized in 2021, Bey House is a historic landmark and Veliko Tarnovo’s first five-star hotel. Bey House Royal Hotel features four royal "chambers" - each room unique in style.The property was home to the last Ottoman “bey” (governor) of the province of Tarnovo before Bulgaria’s independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1878.
Click here to bid now on your Royal Balkan Getaway!
Lot #1002 - Bordeaux wine weekend for 4 at Château Léoville Barton
A wine lover's dream: visit four world-renowned vineyard châteaux in Bordeaux, France, across three days and two nights for up to four people (perfect for two couples). Winemaker Damien Barton will personally host you and your friends' dream wine experience at his family's Chateaux with personal wine tastings and lunch at Château Léoville Barton.
This will be auctioned live at the Gala
Lot #103 & #104 - Join Wild Tomorrow’s Team Elephant to race in the amateur Tour de France!
Live the legend of the Tour de France, riding on the same routes and under the same conditions as the professionals. The race takes place on Sunday, July 20, 2025 and is a stage for non-professional riders, a sporting challenge and travel adventure! You will join Wild Tomorrow's first team of charity riders, proudly wearing our Team Elephant jersey! Your bid in the auction will become your fundraising pledge as a charity rider in the race.
www.letapedutourdefrance.com/en
Click here to bid now to ride the Tour de France!
This just a selection of our amazing nature-inspired auction items featured as part of our 2024 Annual Gala. Click below to browse the full catalog and make your bid count for wildlife!