Art and Celebrities Shined at GLAAD’s 8th Annual OUTAuction NYC
November 19, 2009
A huge thank you to everyone who attended the 8th Annual OUTAuction presented by Bud Light in New York City on November 15, 2009! Over 600 guests from the art, fashion, and philanthropic communities attended the annual fundraising event that celebrates established and emerging artists, raising over $100,000, all proceeds going to benefiting GLAAD’s work to bring the stories and amplify the voices of LGBT people and issues.
The evening began with a glamorous cocktail reception including beverages from Barefoot Wines and Stoli as well as cuisine from Scott’s Café and Catering where guests placed bids on the GLAAD’s Top 100 emerging artist pieces, as chosen by OUTAuction NYC 2009’s Arts Advisory Committee. The pieces composed, In/Out: An Exhibition and Auction, and were deftly displayed around and on the walls of the Metropolitan Pavilion using fabric installations from Pink Inc. All the artists were eligible for the GLAAD Best Emerging Artist Award in three categories, Mixed Media, Painting/Drawing, and Photography that were announced after the live auction.
Guests could also participate in GLAAD’s OUTAuction Raffle for three different amazing packages. One package, valued at $6,450, consisted of two beautiful customized long gowns donated by Oleg Cassini and a pearl necklace donated by Jewels of Ocean. The next package, valued at $3,920, consisted of a one-year membership to David Barton, a two-night stay in a suite bedroom plus breakfast at the Marriot New York Marquis, and a gift basket from Anthony Logistics for Men. The third package, valued at $12,000, consisted of an interior design consultation donated by Clodagh, and a cooking instruction for up to ten people by chef Ruben Nolan Cajigas.
After the silent auction bids were in place, GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios began the night by addressing the guests and welcoming the honorary host committee that included: Bryan Batt (Mad Men); Pulitzer-prize winning dramatist Edward Albee; Academy Award winning actor Joel Grey; ABC’s One Life to Live stars, Brett Claywell, Scott Evans, and Nicholas Rodriquez; singer-songwriter Todd Alsup; Hip-Hop singer-songwriter Talia Coles; DeMarco Majors (Shirts & Skins); Kairon John (Noah’s Arc); Brad Boles (The Real Housewives of New York City); singer-songwriter Ari Gold; and DJ Lady Fay.
Barrios addressed the guests with a story of Chicago high school student who reported a teacher for using the term black f-g who GLAAD worked with to share his story with national media. Barrios then welcomed stage and screen legend Joel Grey to the stage.
Grey introduced artist Ross Bleckner, who received GLAAD’s first Out in Art Award. Bleckner was honored by GLAAD for being an openly gay artist, whose work has earned him the title of the Greatest AIDS Memorialist, having been inspired by personal loss during the AIDS crisis. “Advocacy and tolerance of LGBT artists of all disciplines have always been a conscience and pioneers of our cultural lives through images and words,” said Bleckner during his acceptance speech, “that’s why the work of GLAAD is so important and that’s why I’m here.”
Joel Voigard won the Best Emerging Artist award in Mixed Media for his piece “Bullets.” The piece was constructed out of metal bullets and assorted manufacturing pieces to create two affixed bullets that are standing in the air, by the manufacturing pieces, allowing observers to imagine their trajectory. Jennifer Andrew‘s oil painting, “Cho Lon II,” received the Best Emerging Artist award in Painting/Drawing. The painting features an empty dystopian background, highlighting the decaying foreground of balanced rusty appliances, symbolic of “Cho Lon,” or a large market in Vietnamese. Laurie Schorr received the Best Emerging Artist award in Photography for her black and white photograph “Taking Root.” The photograph is a black and white negative, causing the image to contain a black sky, and stark white roots poking through the gray earth.
The winners of the silent auction were announced and then the live action began where guests placed bids on a selection of pieces, featuring, Herb Ritts’s Madonna I, II, III, Miami 1992; Joan Miro’s Composition I; and Wassily Kandinsky’s Accompagnement en Noir.
The event concluded with a VIP after party behind the auction stage where guests danced to mixes of today’s hottest artists by DJ M+M (Mathieu Mercusot & Maxime Alazet) and DJ Xavier, and celebrated a successful and enjoyable evening.
GLAAD would like to extend many thanks to all the artists who donated their time, commitment, and artwork to the event, making it a success and an evening to remember.
Click here to view a complete list of this year’s artists.
A special thanks to our media attendees: AOL Travel Tips, bleu, Celebrity Good Life.com, Edge, Gay City News, GO! Magazine, Guest of a Guest, The MEN Event, NGLCC NY, NEXT, Passport, Pink Banana Media, Shane O’Neill, Time Out New York, TV Diva Girl, The Quest For “It”, and The Village Voice.
GLAAD would also like to thank all of our sponsors for their generosity: Presenting Partner: Bud Light; Corporate Partners: American Airlines, Barefoot Wine, Chelsea Frames, Marriott Hotels, Pink Inc, Renaissance Hotels and Resorts, the Metropolitan Pavilion, and Stoli,; Special Thanks: Beekman 1802, Jewels of Ocean, DJ Xavier, M+M, Oleg Cassini, and Richard Renda at Totally Cool Video Services.
Special thanks to Peter Lau and Mateo Saenz/BS Photography for capturing the event.
Related Posts:Calling All Artists! Now Taking Submisisons for OUTAuction 2009
August 3, 2009
GLAAD’s Curatorial Committee for OUTAuction is looking for artists, both emerging and established to submit their work to be auctioned off at our signature art event – OUTAuction NYC. Submissions are due by October 7th.
All are encouraged to apply and work of any nature will be considered by the Curatorial Committee. All selected artist will receive two tickets to attend OUTAuction on 11/15.
Photo from OUTAuction 2008
Awards for Best Emerging Artists will be given in three categories: painting/ drawing, photography and mixed media.
Please visit our website to submit artwork online, download the application, or obtain more information: www.glaad.org/outauction2009
With your involvement, we can raise much needed awareness and funds to continue our efforts. While the event is always entertaining and well received, this memorable evening also raises critical funds necessary for GLAAD to remain vigilant in the fight to tell the stories and lives of lgbt people fairly and accurately.
OUTAuction Event Information
Since 2002, GLAAD has produced an annual fundraising art event, OUTAuction NYC. Part glamorous cocktail party, part art auction, OUTAuction NYC celebrates established and emerging artists and recognizes GLAAD’s Top 100 Artists.
Photo From OUTAuction 2008
This year marks the eighth year of OUTAuction, this event has grown to be GLAAD’s fourth biggest fundraiser right behind our Media Awards series. Not only has the event grown in corporate support, but also guest attendance, while continuing to gain awareness from the art world.
OUTAuction continues to provide a tremendous opportunity to build connections and educate people about GLAAD’s work and provide emerging artists with an opportunity to showcase their talents.
On Sunday, November 15, 2009 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Chelsea, GLAAD will feature a live and silent auction with 100 original pieces of art. Over 700 guests from the art, entertainment, fashion and philanthropic communities are scheduled to attend.
Our Arts Advisory Committee has included the support of: Ross Bleckner, Clodagh, Brian English and Mark McKenna/ The Herb Ritts Foundation, Wayne Snellen/ The Leslie Lohman Gay Art Foundation, Ryan McGinness, Patrick McMullan, Asher Remy Toledo / Remy Toledo Gallery, Wessel+ O’Connor Fine Art, Matthew Higgs/ White Columns and Jeanette Ingberman/ Exit Art.
Participating artists have included: Pablo Picasso, Herb Ritts, Ross Bleckner, Steven Klein, Ryan McGinness, Karim Rashid, Clodagh, Annie Leibovitz, Karim Rashid, Mario Sorrenti, Peter Max, Rosie O’Donnell, and Patrick McMullan, among many others.
Celebrities who have participated/ attended in the past include: Tom Ford, Susie Essman, Patricia Fields, Eva LaRue, Donna Summer, Jensen Atwood and Junior Vasquez.
Past Corporate Partners of the event include: Absolut® Vodka, American Airlines, Bud Light, Cargo, Chelsea Frames, Clos Du Bois, Dancing Bull, Deutsche Bank, Earthlink, Fiji Water, Here!, Imperia Vodka, Jaguar/ Land Rover, Marlo Copy & Printing Center, Perrier, Svedka, TimeOut New York, Vange/ Dom, W Hotel/ Aloft.
Related Posts:Marvel Comics’ Rictor and Shatterstar Kiss!
July 1, 2009
In his latest installment of X-Factor, Marvel Comics writer Peter David has ended any speculation surrounding the sexual orientation of two fan favorite characters, Rictor and Shatterstar.
X-Factor #45
The two characters, which have websites like Shattering the Earth dedicated to them, share a kiss in X-Factor #45. According to one online review on iFanboy, this is the first “male/male romantic kiss ever to appear on-panel in a Marvel comic.”
In recent interviews with Newsarama and CBR, David hinted at finally addressing the question of whether or not both characters were “more than friends” but that Shatterstar’s future storyline was totally dependent on the response from readers.
Marvel Comics, which introduced its first openly gay character when Northstar was revealed to be gay back in the 1990s, has in recent years introduced more gay characters including Victor Borkowski and Jonas Graymalkin from Young X-Men, Karolina Dean from Runaways, and the gay teen couple Hulking and Wiccan in Young Avengers, which received the award for Outstanding Comic Book at the 17th Annual GLAAD Media Awards.
Related Posts:OUTAuction 2008
November 25, 2008
A big thank you to everyone who attended GLAAD’s 7th Annual OUTAuction this past Sunday at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City. Close to 600 people attended the event and over $135,000 was raised!
OUTAuction is a unique event for GLAAD – a chance for art patrons, collectors, artists, celebrities and friends of GLAAD to come out and support our work while viewing and bidding on 100 pieces from both established and emerging artists.
The event drew notables like three time Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Edward Albee, actor Jensen Atwood from Logo’s hit show Noah’s Arc, celebrated portrait artist Robert Risko, fashion designer and Project Runway’s Jack Mackenroth, and many more.
Attendees were able to bid on pieces through a silent and a live auction. The live auction included works by artists such as Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall and Herb Ritts. We were lucky enough to be assisted in displaying the pieces during the live auction by both Jensen Atwood and by Derek and Drew Riker, the subjects in the Herb Ritts piece being auctioned.
The winning bidder of the Herb Ritts piece not only got to take the original custom framed photograph home, they also got their picture taken with the Riker twins AND the twins offered up a private lunch at the last moment to help drive up the bidding price.
At the event we also announced the 2008 OUTAuction Emerging Artist winners. The winner are selected from hundreds of submissions falling into three categories - Photography, Mixed Media, and Painting/Drawing.
This year’s winners are below.
2008 Best Emerging Artist – Photography
“Birthing of Epiphany” by Troy Duham & Jeff Eason
2008 Best Emerging Artist – Painting/Drawing
“Muslim Icon” by Komail Aijazuddin
2008 Best Emerging Artist – Mixed Media
“White 2″ by Dragana Zoric
Our professional photographer will have more pictures from the event soon. For now, take a peek at some of the shots I took here.
