The 2019 Silent Art Auction [6]activities at BookExpo and the ABC Children’s Institute [7] (Ci7) took in net proceeds (after expenses) of $23,405, which will be donated to the American Booksellers for Free Expression [8] (ABFE), the free speech arm of the American Booksellers Association, and Every Child a Reader [9], the nonprofit literary charity arm of the Children’s Book Council (CBC).

Attendees peruse the artwork during the 2019 Silent Art Auction at BookExpo.

While artwork donated by 116 children’s book illustrators was auctioned off at BookExpo, 10 pieces were held in reserve specifically to be raffled off at last week’s Ci7 in Pittsburgh, the funds from which are included in the overall net revenue. Attendees could buy five raffle tickets for $5 and an arm’s length of tickets for $20; the winners were called on Friday, June 28, during the Rep Picks Plenary Lunch.

Ten pieces from the BookExpo art auction were set aside for attendees to win in the Ci7 art raffle.

The benefiting organizations for both the auction and the raffle were ABFE and Every Child a Reader, each of which promote the freedom to read. ABFE defends books that are censored by funding the Kids’ Right to Read Project and Banned Books Week, while Every Child a Reader supports events such as the Children’s & Teen Choice Book Awards and Children’s Book Week.