Aspen Art Museum’s ArtCrush Gala welcomed over 600 guests at its copper-adorned, Buttermilk Mountain venue to celebrate its 45th anniversary last Friday, to smashing success. Commemorating the 10th anniversary of its Shigeru Ban-designed building, the Aspen Art Museum honored the architect, along with artist Jacqueline Humphries and composer and artist Jason Moran, with the 2024 Aspen Award for Art.
This year’s auction, presented in collaboration with Christie’s and co-chaired by Abigail Ross Goodman and Molly Epstein, raised a record-breaking $4.5M for the museum. Led by Adrien Meyer of Christie’s, the auction included 12 live lots and over 50 online, including works by Jacqueline Humphries, Alex Israel, Allison Katz (currently showing across the institution), Marina Pérez Simão, Jonathan Lyndon Chase, and more. For the first time, participating artists were given the opportunity to retain a portion of the proceeds.
Gala co-chairs Sarah Arison and Thomas Wilhelm, Jen Rubio and Stewart Butterfield, Charlie Pohlad and Jack Carter, and Eleanore and Domenico De Sole—along with support from Bottega Veneta, J.P. Morgan Private Bank, Steven Shane of Compass Real Estate, UOVO, and LALO Tequila—made the 19th annual gala a sparkling and unforgettable night.
"Our honorees, artist Jacqueline Humphries, architect Shigeru Ban, and artist and composer Jason Moran, exemplify the pursuit of collaboration, transformation, and imagination that are at the heart of this institution," said Nicola Lees, Nancy and Bob Magoon director of Aspen Art Museum, in a statement. "Our new, expanded group of gala co-chairs brought palpable energy to our ArtCrush auction, and I am thankful to everyone who contributed to the phenomenal result, which plays such a vital role in allowing the museum to help realize artists' unprecedented visions.”
ArtWeek commenced and concluded with dancing, beginning with the rooftop party held at the museum, co-hosted by Bottega Veneta. The program maintained momentum, with an array of events, including concerts (held either on the rooftop or at the summit of Aspen Mountain), performances, a gong bath by Himali Singh Soin and David Soin Tappeser, an artist-led hike by Lena Henke, and talks with artists and curators such as Allison Katz and James Meyer. Bringing the art-filled week to a close, the dazzling ArtCrush gala solidified its place as a highlight of Aspen's cultural calendar.
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