Aspen Art Museum 2013 ArtCrush Benefit Gala raises $2.1 million

ASPEN, CO.- On Friday, August 2, 2013, the Aspen Art Museum hosted its ninth annual ArtCrush summer benefit, raising $2.1 million to benefit the Museum’s exhibition and educational programming. The eleven-lot 2013 ArtCrush Live Auction of contemporary art raised a total of $925,000, and the 76-lot Silent art Auction garnered an additional $843,000 in support of the museum’s renowned contemporary programming—record highs for the event in both auction categories.

ArtCrush Aspen Award for Art honoree Teresita Fernández was in attendance as a new work she created especially for this year’s gala sold for $220K—over twice its $100K estimated value. Titled Blind Land (Green Mirror), the precision-cut, stainless steel, horizontal work was among the highlights of the live auction, presided over for the second consecutive year by ArtCrush Sponsor Sotheby’s’ European Senior International Specialist of Contemporary Art, Oliver Barker. This year’s event marked Sotheby’s’ seventh consecutive year as ArtCrush’s Presenting Sponsor.

Teresita Fernandez auction scene. Photo Courtesy Billy Farrel Agency

The other highlights of the evening’s live auction were: Lorna Simpson’s Ruby and Black ($38K), which will remain on view at the Museum through September 22, as part of her current exhibition Lorna Simpson: Works on Paper; Catherine Opie’s Untitled #2 ($52K); Rob Pruitt’s Cocaine ($75K); Glenn Kaino’s In Search of a New Model [Tubastrea] ($70K); Ernesto Neto’s Borbulhante ($65K); Liza Lou’s Unclean ($60K); Shirin Neshat’s Leah [Masses], from the Book of Kings series ($40K); RETNA’s Drifting on a Memory ($50K); Gabriel Kuri’s Untitled [17, 10, 10] ($75K); and an Ellsworth Kelly drawing on paper titled Easter Lily, which gaveled for $180,000.

The silent art auction items included works by such esteemed artists as Rita Ackerman, Cory Arcangel, Iwan Baan, Alexandre da Cunha, Thea Djordjadze, Dzine (b. Carlos Rolon), Shannon Finley, Kate Gilmore, Ian Kiaer, Josephine Meckseper, Jason Middlebrook, Angel Otero, Roxy Paine, Erik Parker, Tom Sachs, Kenny Scharf, David Shrigley, Yinka Shonibare (MBE), Taryn Simon, Ricky Swallow, Hayley Tompkins and more.

AAM National Council member Amy Phelan once again Chaired the 2013 festivities. The main Friday night event marked the culmination of the museum’s three-day benefit, which hosts approximately 400 of the world’s most influential art collectors, wine connoisseurs, artists, gallery owners, museum directors, curators, global business leaders, and celebrities. ArtCrush 2013 event attendees included such notables as AAM Board of Trustees Vice-President and fashion-world icon Domenico De Sole and AAM board member Lance Armstrong, 2013 ArtCrush sponsor Audi’s special guest, renowned actress and hit television series Mad Men star Jessica Paré, and DJ duo The Dolls: Mia Moretti and Margot—who were the featured entertainment at AfterPartyCrush at Belly Up, Aspen, just following the main event.

Leading up to the main ArtCrush gala on Friday night, there were several major events. On Wednesday, July 31, the WineCrush event took place at the home of ArtCrush Chair Amy Phelan and Museum Board of Trustees Co-President John Phelan. The evening began with glasses of Dom Pérignon’s legendary champagne and featured a special tasting of WineCrush event sponsor Tenuta di Biserno’s rare vintages guided by the evening’s special guest Lodovico Antinori. The limited-attendance evening also featured rare wine vintages and food pairings presented by master sommeliers led by Jay Fletcher, Executive Director of Fine Wine and Master Sommelier for Southern Wine and Spirits.

On Thursday, August 1st, there was a kickoff party sponsored by Casterline | Goodman Gallery at their Aspen location, and the official auction preview took place at Richard Edward’s Baldwin Gallery, also in Aspen.

Each year, ArtCrush draws major art-world figures from around the globe.

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2. MOCA Gala raises $2.5 million with Marina Abramovic’s “An Artist’s Life Manifesto”
3. LACMA’S Inaugural Art + film Gala honors Clint Eastwood and John Baldessari and raises $3 million
4. Aspen Art Museum Presents the Work of Artist Dave McKenzie
5. Aspen Art Museum presents the first North American solo exhibition of the work of Thea Djordjadze