DALLAS (October 24, 2011) – On Saturday, October 22, the 13th annual TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art benefit dinner and contemporary art auction marked a record $4.8 million in art and luxury packages sold with funds benefiting amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, and the Dallas Museum of Art. With a few pieces left to sell on Sunday, the organizers are hopeful to reach $5 million.
Close to 475 people attended the sold-out black-tie event, co-chaired by Tony Award winner John Benjamin Hickey, Joyce Goss and Dr. Gary Tigges and hosted annually by Cindy and Howard Rachofsky at their Richard Meier-designed home, The Rachofsky House. Art co-chairs for the 2011 event were Janelle and Alden Pinnell.
“This record-breaking year is testament to the generous donations by artists and dealers worldwide,” said Howard Rachofsky. “The artwork by Mark Grotjahn and its $1 million selling price in the live auction took us over the top. Both Cindy and I are speechless. The audience and bidders continue to recognize the outstanding work of both these important institutions and put their hearts and money into this event.”
The Saturday evening event included cocktails and a silent auction, followed by dinner, and a live auction conducted by Jamie Niven, Chairman, Sotheby’s, North and South America. There were 121 works of art offered in the live and silent auctions this year. Artworks by 2011 amfAR honoree Mark Grotjahn as well as Kara Walker, Tony Cragg and Nigel Cooke among others were sold to the highest bidder. Grotjahn’s work went for $1 million, the highest bid on a single piece of art in TWO x TWO history.
Since its inception, TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art has raised more than $33 million in support of essential AIDS research at amfAR and for the Contemporary Art Acquisitions Fund at the Dallas Museum of Art. The annual black-tie gala, part of a week-long series of events, is the largest U.S. fundraiser for amfAR and the Dallas Museum of Art. The funds support amfAR’s AIDS research initiatives and the Dallas Museum of Art’s contemporary art acquisition program and exhibitions.
The fundraising total was announced this morning by TWO x TWO host Cindy Rachofsky at a private brunch hosted by Janelle and Alden Pinnell. The brunch event was sponsored by Flexjet and held at The Power Station, a not-for profit initiative dedicated to providing a platform for ambitious contemporary art projects in Dallas, TX sponsored by The Pinnell Foundation.
Dallas Museum of Art Hoffman Family Senior Curator of Contemporary Art Jeffery Grove and Cindy Rachofsky, an amfAR board member, addressed the group of invited guests along with Flexjet CEO Fred Reid and amfAR CEO Kevin Robert Frost. Frost then presented artist Mark Grotjahn with amfAR’s 2011 Award of Excellence for Artistic Contributions to the Fight Against AIDS.
In addition to the record-breaking live and silent auctions at Saturday night’s gala, the evening’s highlight was a special performance by superstar and Grammy Award winner Patti LaBelle.
Celebrity VIPs in attendance were:
• Kenneth Cole, amfAR Chairman of the Board
• Stanley Tucci, 2011 TWO x TWO Honorary Chair and Emcee and long-time supporter of amfAR and the Dallas event
• John Benjamin Hickey, 2011 TWO x TWO Co-Chair, Tony Award winning actor, star in Showtime’s “The Big C”
• Patti LaBelle, Grammy Award winning performer
• Jamie Niven, Chairman, Sotheby’s, North and South America (Platinum Sponsor of the event)
• Thakoon, designer
Attending artists included (alphabetical):
• Diana Al-Hadid
• Nathan Carter
• Nigel Cooke
• Marc Dennis
• Matias Faldbakken
• John Gerrard
• Mark Grotjahn
• Ken Solomon
The week-long festivities leading up to the TWO x TWO gala include a preview party for Dallas Museum of Art members on Tuesday, sponsored by Sotheby’s, and the First Look party on Thursday, this year featuring a performance piece by artist Rob Pruitt inviting guests to join him in picking up paintball guns and aiming them at a canvas that became one of the largest abstract paintings in history. The presenting Sponsor for First Look 2011 was Michele.
Over the years, previous VIP celebrity guests at TWO x TWO events have included Sharon Stone, Sigourney Weaver, Shirley MacLaine, Liza Minnelli, Barry Manilow, Natasha Richardson, Taylor Dayne, Dita Von Teese, Stanley Tucci, Harry Belafonte, Gavin Rossdale, and Christian Siriano. Renowned artists Robert Rauschenberg, Ed Ruscha, Julian Schnabel, April Gornik, Joel Shapiro, Cecily Brown, Tom Friedman, Elizabeth Peyton, Jim Hodges, and Peter Doig have been honored.
Event sponsors for 2011 TWO x TWO include Audi of America, Sotheby’s, Talbots, AT&T, Inc., Cartier, Walman Bros., Chubb Personal Insurance, Moet Hennessy USA, Neiman Marcus, todd.event design. creative services, Aston Martin of Dallas, The Snoring Center, Design Within Reach, Michele, Texas Graphic Resource Inc., GDT, Kent Rathbun Catering, Flexjet, The Joule Hotel, Strait Capital Company Ltd., PaperCity, Dallas Art Fair, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano, The Buzzell Company, Cassandra Fine Catering, The Cultured Cup, Delta Air Lines, Displays Unlimited Inc., Ducky-Bob’s Event Specialists, Empire Baking Co., Laura’s Event Services, Mike Sandone Productions, Park Cities Hilton, PRO/SOUND, Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, Runyon Fine Arts, San Pellegrino/Acqua Panna, Sprinkles Cupcakes, Stageworks, Strong Travel Services, Suite 206, Switch Lighting, Unified Fine Arts Services, US Art, Whitewall Magazine.
For more information, please visit www.2x2online.org.
ABOUT TWO x TWO FOR AIDS AND ART
Since its inception thirteen years ago, TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art has raised over $33 million in support of essential AIDS research at amfAR and for the Contemporary Art Acquisitions Fund at the Dallas Museum of Art. TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art is the largest U.S. fundraiser for amfAR and is recognized as one of the top events in Dallas.
BENEFICIARIES
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research is one of the world’s leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy. Since 1985, amfAR has invested more than $325 million in its programs and has awarded grants to more than 2,000 research teams worldwide.
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research is one of the world’s leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy. Since 1985, amfAR has invested more than $325 million in its programs and has awarded grants to more than 2,000 research teams worldwide.
The Dallas Museum of Art, established in 1903, has an encyclopedic collection of more than 23,000 works spanning 5,000 years of history and representing all media with renowned strengths in the arts of the ancient Americas, Africa, Indonesia, and South Asia; European and American painting, sculpture, and decorative arts; and American and international contemporary art.
The Dallas Museum of Art is the anchor of the growing Dallas Arts District and, in all its vitality, serves as a cultural magnet for the city with diverse programming ranging from exhibitions and lectures to concerts, literary readings, and dramatic and dance presentations. The Museum serves more than one-half million visitors a year and offers more than 3,500 education and public programs annually designed to engage people of all ages with the power and excitement of art. Visit www.dallasmuseumofart.org.
EDITOR’S NOTE
Please note the correct name is amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research. It was formerly known as the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR).
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