Aspen ArtCrush Raises Funds for the Aspen Art Museum
The Aspen Art Museum’s annual Aspen ArtCrush fundraising gala and auction is returning on Friday, August 4 for its 18th edition. Presented by co-chairs Jamie Tisch and Sara Zilkha, Collector Committee Co-Chairs Abigail Ross Goodman and Molly Epstein, and made possible by Sotheby’s and Prada, the event will take place at the Aspen Skiing Company’s Buttermilk ski area and honors artist Nairy Baghramian with the 2023 Aspen Award for Art. The benevolent soiree is the pinnacle of Aspen Art Week programming and the museum’s most significant annual fundraiser, providing critical funds for education and programming through a live and an online auction featuring 70 donated works by prominent artists.
Nairy Baghramian, “Coude à Coude,” 2019, cast aluminum, wax 85 1/8 by 63 3/4 by 3 1/2 inches; courtesy of the artist and Marian Goodman Gallery, photo by Nick Ash, image courtesy of the artist and Marian Goodman Gallery.
What to Bid on in This Year’s Aspen ArtCrush Auction
Open with online bidding through Sotheby’s until August 5, the virtual sale encompasses works by names like Che Lovelace, Kerstin Bratsch, Carmen Herrera, JJ Manford, Lily Stockman, Rochelle Feinstein, Naotaka Hiro, Alex Kerr, Robert Lugo, Cauleen Smith, and Korakrit Arunanondchai. Meanwhile, the live auction takes place during the gala, featuring contributions from artists including Chase Hall, the Haas Brothers, Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe, Liza Lou, Alex Israel, Peter Halley, Howardena Pindell, and the evening’s honoree, Baghramian. Paintings, ceramics, works on paper, design objects, sculptures, and more from the auction will be on view in a preview exhibition at the museum through August 3.
“I can’t wait for Art Week, it’s the highlight of the year in Aspen. We have seen incredible generosity from artists and galleries who have donated artworks to this year’s ArtCrush auction, from Nairy Baghramian and Chase Hall, both of whom have exhibitions at the museum this summer, to Todd Gray and Kerstin Bratsch,” said Aspen ArtCrush co-chair Tisch. During the week a real highlight of the Art Week program will be a performance by the British artist Matt Copson which will take place in the incredible setting of Smugler’s Mine.”
Todd Gray, “Atlantic (Octavia),” 2022, Four archival pigment prints in artist’s frames, UV laminate, 72 5/8 by 49 1/8 by 5 inches; kindly donated by the artist and David Lewis, photo courtesy of Todd Gray.
More Happenings During Aspen Art Week 2023
Leading up to the gala, in Aspen you’ll find a lineup of programming taking place for Aspen Art Week, including happenings at the Aspen Art Museum like Baghramian’s exhibition “Jupon de Corps,” Florian Krewer’s first U.S. institutional exhibition, “everybody rise,” the show “A Lover’s Discourse,” which includes work by Hall juxtaposed with those by Jackson Pollock, and other events like talks, performances, and more.
Alex Kerr, “I’m Sad 2,” 2023, Oil and epoxy on panel, 20 3/4 x 33 1/2 inches; kindly donated by the artist and New Low, image courtesy of the artist and New Low.
Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe, “Laze,” 2022, 60 x 40 inches, Oil on canvas; kindly donated by the artist and Almine Rech, photo by Mario Galucci, courtesy of of the artist and Almine Rech.
Howardena Pindell, “Tesseract #6,” 2023, Acrylic on canvas, 65 x 95 inches; kindly donated by the artist and Garth Greenan Gallery, New York, image courtesy of the artist and Garth Greenan Gallery, New York.
Naotaka Hiro, “Untitled (Touch),” 2021, Acrylic, graphite, grease pencil, crayon on wood, 40 x 42 x 2 inches; kindly donated by the artist, Herald Street and Bortolami, courtesy of the artist Herald Street and Bortolami.
