Great American Songbook Foundation Launches Asherwood Auction

One of the region's most spectacular private homes will be open to the public this weekend as the Great American Songbook Foundation gears up for a massive auction of personal property at Asherwood, the former Simon estate donated to support the Foundation's music preservation and education initiatives.

The auction will offer approximately 1,000 lots for sale, including hundreds of ornate examples of antique and custom furniture, décor items, works of art, imported rugs and countless smaller objects, most in pristine condition. A separate section of the event will be devoted to selling antique books from Asherwood's vast library. All proceeds will benefit the nonprofit Songbook Foundation.

Auction previews are scheduled 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Nov. 16 at the 107-acre site in the 10000 block of Ditch Road in Carmel. These are the only opportunities for visitors to inspect the sale items in person and tour Asherwood's 50,000-square-foot Main House, the 6,000-square-foot Guest House and the 8,000-square-foot golf Club House.

Tour times are assigned by the hour, and admission is $25 per person. Tickets must be purchased in advance through the Center for the Performing Arts Box Office at (317) 843-3800 or TheCenterPresents.org. Parking is limited, and carpooling is recommended. Directions and parking details are available at www.TheSongbook.org/parking.

The live auction will take place the following weekend, starting at 11 a.m. EST Nov. 17 and noon EST Nov. 18, at the Tarkington at the Center for the Performing Arts, 3 Center Green, Carmel. Auction tickets are $25 per person, available through the Center's Box Office.

Potential buyers can view the auction lots online and participate remotely in the live auction via LiveAuctioneers.com and Invaluable.com. Additional information is available at Guernseys.com.

About the Great American Songbook Foundation
The mission of the Great American Songbook Foundation, founded in 2007 by five-time Grammy Award nominee Michael Feinstein, is to inspire and educate by celebrating the Great American Songbook - the timeless songs of pop, jazz, Broadway and Hollywood. A Cultural Affiliate of the Los Angeles-based Grammy Museum, the Songbook Foundation is committed to preserving and elevating this rich legacy by curating physical artifacts of the Songbook's creators, performers and publishers; operating a multimedia exhibit gallery; overseeing the Songbook Hall of Fame; offering programs for the public and research opportunities for scholars and artists; and providing educational opportunities for student musicians, including the annual Songbook Academy summer intensive. More information is available at www.TheSongbook.org.

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