On Thursday, November 8, 2018, RxArt held its 18th annual RxArt PARTY and auction at 432 Park Avenue. The evening honored artist Rashid Johnson and Warby Parker Co-Founder, Co-CEO and RxArt board member Neil Blumenthal.
The evening kicked off with specialty cocktails by The House of Suntory, as guests navigated through a Rashid Johnson-inspired cocktail space, filled with greenery courtesy of PlantShed, while previewing the auction artworks that were up for bid. Following cocktails, guests entered the dining room for a seated dinner with dishes by 432 Park’s in-house chef Shaun Hergatt, followed by a musical performance by classically-trained pianist and music producer Antoine Baldwin, who worked with Johnson on “Antoine’s Organ.”
The evening honored Rashid Johnson with the RxArt Inspiration Award in celebration of his extraordinary multidisciplinary practice and creativity, and the engaging installation he’s creating for a new children’s clinic at Loma Linda University Children’s Health in Indio, CA. Neil Blumenthal was also honored and was presented with the RxArt Innovation Award for his philanthropic work and steadfast guidance on the RxArt board.
The party culminated with a live auction led by Sara Friedlander, Christie’s International Director, Head of Post-War & Contemporary Art in New York, in which each live auction work was sold. Guests included Joel Mesler, Sarah Brown, Lauren Layne; Agnes Gund, David Rothschild, Kenny Schachter, and Joyce Varvatos.
ABOUT RxART
RxArt is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to help children heal through the extraordinary power of visual art. We commission exceptional contemporary artists to transform sterile healthcare facilities into engaging and inspiring environments full of beauty, humor and comfort.
all images // Neil Rasmus/ BFA.com
