The annual ArtCrush gala returns to Aspen this week. On August 5, the 17th ArtCrush dinner and auction will cap off Aspen ArtWeek’s festivities, events, and performances, organized by the Aspen Art Museum. The evening is co-chaired by Chandra Johnson, Jamie Tisch, and Sara Zilkha, and the auction—held both online and in person, will be hosted by Sotheby’s. All of the auction’s donated art pieces will be on display to the public throughout the week ahead.
The online auction is open for bidding on July 29 and closes on August 6, while the live auction will be conducted on August 5. More than 50 works from a range of international artists have been donated, including pieces from Paola Pivi, Jeffrey Gibson, Amoako Boafo, Joel Mesler, Mungo Thomson, and Gary Simmons.
Jeffrey Gibson, “Double Fortune,” 2022, digitally printed cotton canvas, lyrca fabric, cotton thread, nylon thread, holographic vinyl fabric, acrylic felt, sculpting wire, acrylic druzy beads, 64 x 55 x 10 in (162.6 x 139.7 x 25.4 cm), courtesy of the artist and the Aspen Art Museum.
Simmons has been named the 2022 ArtCrush Artist Honoree—an award to be presented to the artist at the gala. His work is known to address race and class issues through iconic American imagery and pop culture references. The Artist Honoree has been given out for the past 17 years to recognize leading contemporary artists such as Mary Weatherford, Tom Sachs, Teresita Fernández, Ernesto Neto, and Lorna Simpson.
Gary Simmons, “Whistle Walk,” 2022, oil and cold wax on canvas, 60 x 60 x 2 in (152.4 x 152.4 x 5.2 cm), courtesy of the artist and the Aspen Art Museum.
The ArtCrush gala, which raised more than $3 million last year, is the largest fundraiser for the Aspen Art Museum, supporting new exhibits and educational programming. This season, the museum is working with the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies and Valley Settlement to put together children and family art workshops that seek to create engagement with the environment and local nature.
Mungo Thomson, “November 29, 1976 (Robert Rauschenberg),” 2022, enamel on low iron mirror, poplar, aluminum 74 x 56 in (188 x 142.2 cm), courtesy of the artist and the Aspen Art Museum.
