$250 buys art by ... someone

IT’S pretty, but is it art?

Well, it could be Art -- or Bob, or Olga. Fact is, an artist of any name or level of fame could be the creator of the 8-by-10-inch artworks offered at a flat rate of $250 at the Santa Monica Museum of Art’s third annual INCOGNITO benefit sale Saturday.

Of course, buyers will find out who made the work they choose, but only after they’ve paid for it. “You really have to trust your instincts,” says museum executive director Elsa Longhauser.

Those who pay “benefactor” and “patron” admission of $1,250 and $500 per ticket pair get a preview of the artworks from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday; those paying $100 per ticket ($125 at the door) are admitted only to the Saturday shopping spree, 7 to 9:30 p.m. at the museum. But all comers have only Saturday to make a deal.

Well, there’s one more opportunity for incognito shopping: From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 29, after the sale -- and there’s no admission charge to come in and buy the leftovers (still $250). “Some of the most beautiful art is always left for the Sunday sale,” Longhauser says.

Call (310) 586-6488 for tickets and information or www.smmoa.org.

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-- Diane Haithman