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Bidders offer $29,000 for donated Goodwill painting

HILLSBORO, Ore. (KOIN) -When you think of fine art, you probably don’t think of Goodwill. If you’re hoping to land one piece they have up for auction, though, you’re going to have to write a pretty hefty check.

A 1925 landscape painting by California impressionist William Wendt is fetching an offer of $29,001 on ShopGoodwill.com. The painting was donated to a Goodwill store in the northwest, but Goodwill workers aren’t sure which one.

Wendt has been called the “Dean of Southern California landscape painters”. His work can be seen in museums around the world, including the Smithsonian.

E-commerce Operations Manager Joshua Peterson says the bid is the highest amount he’s seen in his four years working at the Goodwill virtual store in Hillsboro. The store had the painting evaluated by an art expert, who valued the work as approximately $15,000 to $25,000.

This isn’t the first time a donated painting has fetched huge numbers on ShopGoodwill. A 1923 watercolor by the American impressionist Frank Weston Benson sold for $165,002 in 2006.

The $29,000 offer is a sizable one, and most of that money will be heading back into Oregon and Washington communities. Goodwill spokesperson Dale Emanuel told 24-Hour News 8’s sister staton KOIN that 4.2% of the Hillsboro location’s revenue goes toward the cost of overhead. The rest of the money they receive is turned into funding for multiple job programs, which connect tens of thousands of people to paychecks.

“The majority of what you give goes to your best intentions,” Emanuel said. “We hope that that will help your community walk strongly and find financial footing.”

At it’s current price, the donated Wendt painting would generate about $27,700 those job programs.

The price could keep climbing. The online auction doesn’t close until 5:15 pm Thursday.