Auction Terms and Conditions

Art That Helps — Charity Auction Terms and Conditions

Last updated: 26 Aug 2026

1. Organiser and parties

This charity auction ("the Auction") is organised by SIA "Art-is-Artis", registration number 40203738391 ("the Organiser"), on behalf of the artists whose works are listed.

  • Paintings by Artis Berkmanis remain his property until sold.
  • Paintings by guest artist Monta Krafte remain her property until sold.
  • All payments from winning bids are paid directly by the winning bidder to Lielas rūpes par mazajiem, a Latvian initiative supporting children treated at the Children's Clinical University Hospital without a parent or caregiver present (lielasrupes.lv).

At least 90% of the total funds raised support the initiative directly. The Organiser and the participating artists reserve the right to request reimbursement of up to 10% of proceeds toward the cost of materials and the creation of future charitable work. Any portion not requested remains with the initiative.

The Organiser does not receive, hold, or process any bidder's payment at any point. Payments are made directly by the winning bidder to Lielas rūpes par mazajiem.

2. How the Auction works

  • Each painting starts at €50, with a minimum bid increase of €5.
  • To place a bid, you sign in with your email address and enter a one-time verification code. No password is required.
  • A bid is a binding commitment to buy the painting at that price if you win. Bids cannot be withdrawn once placed.
  • There is no maximum ("proxy") bidding available. You must return to place a higher bid manually if you are outbid.

3. Closing time and extended bidding ("popcorn" rule)

  • Online bidding for each lot closes on 10 October 2026 at 12:00 (Riga time), as shown on the countdown for that painting.
  • If a bid is placed within the final 5 minutes before a lot's closing time, that lot's closing time is automatically extended by a further 5 minutes. This continues, lot by lot, until 5 minutes pass with no new bid on that lot. The last valid bid at that point wins.
  • Because of this rule, a lot's actual closing time may be later than 12:00. Check the live countdown on the painting's page, not the general auction date, for the true closing moment.

4. Closing event

  • A closing event will be held on a date and at a location to be announced on art-is-artis.com and on the Organiser's social media channels.
  • Bidding at the closing event is open only for paintings that received no bids online. Paintings that already have an online bid are not open to further bidding at the event; the online winner's bid stands.
  • Winners who attend the closing event may complete payment and receive their painting in person.

5. Payment

  • Winners will be notified by email once bidding closes on their lot. This email will include a unique payment reference for that lot.
  • Payment is due within 5 working days of that email, made directly to Lielas rūpes par mazajiem via lielasrupes.lv/ziedot. You must enter the payment reference exactly as provided in the donation notes field, so your payment can be matched to your painting.
  • If you attend the closing event, you may instead pay in cash directly at the official Lielas rūpes par mazajiem donation point ("zirdziņš") at the event, and receive your painting immediately once payment is made.
  • If payment is not received within this period, the Organiser reserves the right to offer the painting to the next-highest bidder or return it to the auction.
  • No payment of any kind is made to, or processed by, SIA "Art-is-Artis" or the individual artists.

6. Delivery

  • Winners who attend the closing event receive their painting directly from the artist at the event, once payment is confirmed.
  • Winners within Latvia who do not attend the event will have their painting delivered to a confirmed address, at the Organiser's expense (by private delivery or a parcel service such as Omniva, at the Organiser's discretion), once Lielas rūpes par mazajiem confirms payment has been received.
  • Winners outside Latvia are responsible for the cost of shipping. Two options are available: pickup from a location specified by the Organiser (preferred), or delivery to a fixed parcel locker/postbox address specified by the Organiser, with the winner covering the shipping cost. Door-to-door international courier delivery is not offered.
  • Ownership of the painting transfers to the winning bidder only once payment has been confirmed by Lielas rūpes par mazajiem — not at the moment of winning the bid.

7. Unsold lots

Any painting that receives no bid, either online or at the closing event, remains the property of the original artist and is returned to them.

8. Condition of works

All works are original paintings sold as-is. As unique, handmade originals, minor variations from photographs shown online (texture, exact colour under different lighting) are normal and are not grounds for return. Returns and refunds are not available.

9. Reproduction rights

The sale of a painting through this Auction transfers ownership of the physical original artwork only. It does not transfer copyright or reproduction rights.

For paintings by Artis Berkmanis, the artist and/or SIA "Art-is-Artis" retain the right to photograph the original work and to reproduce and sell prints of it — including, but not limited to, print-on-demand products such as posters and canvas prints — after the Auction. This applies regardless of who owns the original physical painting.

This clause does not apply to works by guest artist Monta Krafte; reproduction rights to her paintings remain with her.

10. No cancellation

The Organiser intends to complete the Auction as planned and does not anticipate cancelling it or withdrawing lots once listed. In the unlikely event a lot must be withdrawn for reasons beyond the Organiser's control, any bids placed on it become void and bidders will be notified.

11. Your data

  • Information collected during bidding (name, email, delivery address where applicable) is used only to administer the Auction — verifying bids, notifying winners, and arranging delivery.
  • Bidding does not sign you up for marketing. You will only receive communication directly related to the Auction, unless you separately opt in to the newsletter.
  • Data is retained until the Auction is fully complete — all payments confirmed and all paintings delivered — plus one additional month to resolve any delivery issues. It is then deleted.
  • For more detail, see our Privacy Policy.

12. Contact

Questions about the Auction can be sent to studio@art-is-artis.com.

13. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of Latvia. Any disputes will be resolved in the courts of Latvia.

By placing a bid, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to these terms.