Omaha, NE – October 29, 2013 – The Finest (www.thefinest.com), a sophisticated online Marketplace for fine art and rare memorabilia, has been selected by Kaminski Auctions to provide live online bidding for the upcoming auction of personal and home items including antiques, contemporary furnishings and fine art from Oprah Winfrey’s residences in Chicago, Maui, Indiana and Santa Barbara. The live auction, which will benefit the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation College Fund, will take place Saturday, November 2 at 10:30 am Pacific at the Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club in Carpinteria, Calif., with live online bidding commencing at that time via The Finest. Online pre-bidding is already available by visiting www.thefinest.com/kaminski.
As reported in the March 2013 issue of The Oprah Magazine, Ms. Winfrey plans to completely remodel her Santa Barbara home. To make room for new furnishings, she is parting with items previously selected by the late decorator Anthony P. Browne, which had adorned the halls of the estate. Continental and English antiques, light fixtures, upholstered furniture and fine art are among the pieces crossing the auction block.
Online bidding via The Finest ensures collectors and enthusiasts of fine art and rare memorabilia located throughout the world can participate. Global buyers will not want to miss the opportunity to bid on and win notable items in this sale including:
- Hand-wrought iron panels that graced the main staircase of Ms. Winfrey’s Santa Barbara home (estimated $4,000-$7,000)
- Collection of fine English George Smith upholstered furniture, including a singular green and white plaid couch with down-stuffed cushions and coordinating pillows (estimated $3,000-$4,000)
- Louis XVI chest with detailed inlay and marble top, stamped by the maker “Boudin” (estimated $30,000-$50,000)
- Set of Louis XV armchairs in hand-embroidered silk yellow upholstery (estimated $20,000-$40,000)
- Works by artists Allen Stringfellow, John Kramer, Clementine Hunter and others
Fans will have the chance to win several memorabilia items autographed by Ms. Winfrey, including vintage magazine covers, original material from the movie, The Color Purple, and “Oprah’s Favorite Things.”
For more information about this auction, or to participate online, please visit www.thefinest.com/kaminski.
About Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls and the College Fund
Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG) is committed to academic achievement, service leadership and cultural enrichment for girls who show outstanding promise, despite their social circumstances. OWLAG offers a dynamic and innovative curriculum designed to develop critical, questioning minds and to prepare students for university study. At the end of this year, three classes of students have graduated with 100% of them continuing their education at universities in South Africa and a range of prestigious American institutions, including Stanford University, Brown University and Spelman College, among others. The College Fund was established to support and encourage these young women leaders and those who will follow them in furthering their educational pursuits. For more information about the Academy or the College Fund, please visit: http://www.owla.co.za/donations.htm.
About The Finest
The Finest taps into the spirit of the collector, the buyer and the seller of fine, rare objects – fine art, antiques and collectibles. The site curates stories, commentary and criticism from the industry’s top sources and provides commerce opportunities with leading auction companies and galleries – always with the collector in mind – to bring an online experience unlike any other.
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