The ArtCrush Gala Auction closed out the famed Aspen ArtWeek on Friday, August 2, 2024. The gala took place in a luxury tent nestled at the foot of Buttermilk Mountain between Snowmass and Aspen, Colorado. More than 600 guests from all over the world gathered to enjoy the theme of The Golden Hour. The tent was decorated in red and gold to mimic the beauty of the sunset. Cocktails were followed by a dinner of fine food and wine, preludes to the big event, the art auction.
The contemporary artwork for the auction was available to view from July 17 to August 3 and was donated by the artists or the galleries representing them. The featured artists were Jacqueline Humphries, Allison Katz, Emma McIntyre, Jason Moran, Naudline Pierre, Marina Pérez Simão, Emmi Whitehorse, Kennedy Yanko, Marley Freeman, and Delcy Morelos.
This was the 45th anniversary of the Aspen Art Museum and the art auction was to raise funds for the year-long running of the museum’s various programs, both curatorial and educational. The auction was both live and online.
In a press release, the Nancy and Bob Magoon Director of the Aspen Art Museum, Nicola Lees, stated, “I am energized by the enthusiastic response to this year’s special anniversary edition of Aspen ArtWeek, and to have welcomed visitors from all over the world to participate in the program we have been building and growing since we first staged it four years ago.”
Adrian Meyer of Christie’s Auction House led the live portion of the art auction. His energetic performance kept the bids coming as he bustled across the stage and traipsed among the seated attendees. Meyer is the house’s global head of private sales and the co-head of the Impressionist and Modern Art and is also the first from Christie’s to lead the live auction. Dressed immaculately in a navy blue suit, he enthusiastically urged on the bidders, some of who were representing clients sitting anxiously on the other end of the phone.
“No regrets!” he enthused, urging on the bidders. “… it’s yours!”
With the sale of each art piece, he’d bang his gavel on the nearest table and toss the corresponding note card over his shoulder much to the delight of the crowd.
The stress was too much for some of the artists, who received a portion of the proceeds for the first time this year. A few artists slipped out of the room to find a drink. They didn’t need to worry. For example, Jacqueline Humphries’s painting sold for $400,000. The Auction brought in $4.5 million for the Aspen Art Museum, the highest earnings of any ArtCrush Gala auction to date.
The night also celebrated the 10th anniversary of the museum building, designed by Pritzker-winning Shigeru Ban. Ban, along with Jacqueline Humphries and Jason Moran, two of the featured artists, were this year’s honorees and received statuettes designed by Gaetano Pesce.
The ArtCrush Gala auction was organized by the museum’s Collector Committee, co-chaired by Abigail Ross Goodman and Molly Epstein. The gala was co-chaired by Sarah Arison and Thomas Wilhelm, Jen Rubio and Stewart Butterfield, Charlie Pohlad and Jack Carter, and Eleanore and Domenico De Sole.
The Aspen ArtWeek agenda was packed with events. The week’s programming included a concert on the rooftop of the museum by composer Jason Moran. The Aspen Skiing Company was a partner for a concert at the summit of Aspen Mountain that featured music by Michael Beharie, Lizzie Fitch, Ashland Mines, Aaron David Ross, and Ryan Trecartin. There were also talks with artists and artist Lena Henke led a hike.
The week’s events concluded with an afterparty at the Mollie Hotel.
