Painted axe guitar auction
Painted Axe Guitar Auction
Each year at the Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival, a unique guitar, a masterpiece by artist Michael Gauf of Painted Axe, is autographed by Blues Fest performers and auctioned to benefit the community and educational programs of the Foundation like the Don “Moose” Jamison Heritage School of Music.
This has been a tradition since 2013. The guitar’s multicolored minimalist design, created using a fluid art technique called chain pull, symbolizes the vibrance of the French Quarter and the richness of the bayou.
The 2024 Crescent City Blues and BBQ Festival guitar has a design that incorporates the mighty Mississippi River, New Orleans neighborhoods, and the festival logo. This guitar presents a contrasting backdrop for the many artist autographs that will be collected. The Mississippi River is a vital lifeline for New Orleans, shaping its history, culture, and economy. The Mississippi has provided the city with trade, transportation, and fertile lands, contributing the the cultural landscape. From its role in fostering the city’s music scene and cuisine to supporting vital industries, the Mississippi River continues to influence the spirit and livelihood of New Orleans. This guitar will be quite a collectible and an invaluable piece of memorabilia for the lucky bidder.
Michael Gauf
About the artist
For more than 20 years, Michael Gauf, owner/artisan of Painted Axe, has been custom painting guitars and gear for festivals, special events, bands, musicians, and charities. He draws upon intuition, imagination, and inventiveness to craft one-of-a-kind branded guitars, conveying a message, feeling, and/or story specific to the commission. Educated and trained as a newspaper editor and then a corporate online risk specialist, Gauf adventured beyond his 9-to-5 professions. Through research, trial and error, and stubbornness, he taught himself to become a copyrighted songwriter and artist. He was awarded art exhibits for his guitars in Indianapolis and Jacksonville, Fla. Painted Axe guitars are highly sought-after collectibles. At the Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival the King Biscuit Blues Festival and others, Painted Axe guitars have become part of the event’s fabric. He is proud to call clients: blues man John Lee Hooker Jr. and Biscuit Miller, LA rocker Ronny North, Night Ranger guitarist Keri Kelli, Blues Foundation, BTE Foundation, Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, Summer Camp Festival, and many more. Born in Peoria, IL., Gauf now lives in St. Augustine Fl. When not in the workshop or paint booth, he’s trying to find a seat at one of many regional music venues.