The benefits of Partnerships

Partnership for the Homeless President and CEO Arnold S. Cohen, Lawrence Hamilton, Mark Markham, Honorary Co-chair and Partnership for the Homeless National Spokesperson Jessye Norman, Co-chair Richard Serra, and Steven Cole.

Friday night a week ago, at the Gagosian Gallery on 522 West 21 Street, the Partnership for the Homeless held an art auction that raised more than $2.075 million to benefit the Family Resource Center for New York City children.

The special evening included a performance by the great Jessye Norman who is national spokesperson for the Partnership was joined by friends Steven Cole, Lawrence Hamilton, and Mark Markham in performing selections by Rodgers & Hammerstein, Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington and Stephen Flaherty.

The benefit and auction was made possible by the generosity of 82 artists, inspired by event co-chairs Richard Serra and Clara Serra to donate their works to the auction which commenced after the performances.

Many distinguished artists contributed works including Richard Artschwager, John Baldessari, Matthew Barney, Louise Bourgeois, Chris Burden, Vija Clemins, Chuck Close, Mark di Suvero, Jenny Holzer, Roni Horn, Joan Jonas, Jeff Koons, Vik Muntz, Takashi Murakami, Bruce Nauman, Richard Serra, Joel Shapiro, Hiroshi Sugimoto and Lawrence Weiner, among many others.

Partnership for the Homeless Vice President, Programs Scott Cotenoff, Family Resource Center Director Katherine Hammer, President and CEO Arnold S. Cohen, Director of Advocacy Piper Hoffman, Vice President, Finance and Administration Karim Parchment, Vice President, Human Resources Jerry Arko.

Clara and Richard Serra were chairs of the evening. Honorary co-chairs were Edythe and Eli Broad, Agnes Gund, Mimi Haas, Werner Kreamarsky, Marie-Josee Kravis, Dorothy Lichtenstein, Jessye Norman and Emily Rauh Pulitzer.

Among the guests were Richard Artschwager, Richard Armstrong, Peter Brant, Phong Bui constance Caplan, Lisa Dennison, Mark di Suvero, Tiffany Bell and Richard Gluckman, Todd Eberle, Agnes Gund, Lisa de Kooning, Jo Carole Lauder, Dorothy Lichtenstein, Brice Marden, Malcolm Morley, Elizabeth Peyton, Susan Rothenberg, Josel Shapiro, Ursula vaon Rydingsvard and Dustin Yellin.

The Family Resource Center, a program of the Partnership for the Homeless, works with families in East New York, Brooklyn, in a holistic manner to promote stable housing and prosperity. Under its auspices, the Education Rights Project ensure that children who are homeless or experiencing a housing crisis continue to progress in school. Proceeds raised from this event will enable the Partnership to expand staff for the Project and to work with more families, schools, and within the community to ensure children’s academic success. The Center meets with more than 2000 families annually.

For more information visit: www.partnershipforthehomeless.org [1].

Ursula von Rydingsvard, Kathleen Flynn, and Susan Gosin

Lisa de Kooning, Tripoli Patterson, and Kate Curran

Catherine Carpentieri and Arnold S. Cohen

Per Jensen, Ann Freedman, Robert Freedman, and Arnold S. Cohen

David Parker, Lorraine Letendre, Arnold S. Cohen, and James Druckman

Larry Gagosian and Arnold S. Cohen

Ealan Wingate, Melinda Wingate, Peter Robbins, and Jody Robbins

Richard Serra, Arnold S. Cohen, and John Silberman

Brice Marden

Michela Bondardo and Phong Bui

Dustin Yellin and John Newsom

Agnes Gund, Jo Carole Lauder, and Dorothy Lichtenstein

Lawrence Hamilton, Mark Markham, Jessye Norman, and Steven Cole

Richard and Ann Artschwager

Chrissie Shearman, Nazy Nazhand, Eboni Gates, and Holly Greenfield

Judy Hudson, Angela Westwater, Susan Rothenberg, and Jane Kaplowitz

Henry Buhl, Partnership for the Homeless President and CEO Arnold S. Cohen

Joel Shapiro and Mark di Suvero

Matthew Montgomery, Liam Morrison, Anna Drozda, and Emily Gable

Photographs by Star Black

Last Tuesday evening, in celebration of Founder’s Day, The Marymount School of New York hosted an evening lecture and reception titled “Marie-Antoinette in America: Her Royal Treasures in the New World.” Scholar/Author/Speaker Ronald Freyberger, an authority on 18th-century French decorative arts, held the large audience of parents, alumnae, faculty, and invited guests spellbound with a demonstration of the beauty, complexity, and detailed histories of some of the finest examples of the decorative arts ever created.

Ranging from mother-of-pearl writing desks, silver candelabra to finely carved armchairs and daybeds, Mr. Freyberger explored the importance and power of the decorative arts and the significance of both museums and private collectors in the histories of these precious objects.

Eric Gioia and Lisa Hernandez Gioia

Christine Danielewski and Beth Werwaiss

Christopher Pastor and Greg Joye

Elizabeth Stafford, Sue Devine, and Greg Joye

Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia and Daniel Colon

Cathy Callender

Ronald Freyberger and H.I.H. Princess Zeyneb Osman

Kipton Cronkite

Laurie Bannister-Coln

Susan Johnson and Paul Kane

Ronald Freyberger

Barbara Parisi, Brenda Cooney, and Joan Gurry

Pauline Brookfield, Kate Flannigan, and Susan Flannigan

Lillian Issa

Hiroko Doyama and Marie Terry

Tracy Ponterelli

Well, down in Palm Beach they were very pleased with the results of the turnout and sales over the last few days at the American International Fine Art Fair (AIFAF). “It was just like the old days,” exclaimed Francois Graff, of Graff. A record 5,100 collectors attended the opening Vernissage honoring the Norton Museum of Art last Tuesday evening at the Palm Beach County Convention Center.

Sales during the first day of the fair very strong, consistent with very strong auction sales in New York on Wednesday – where a Giacometti sculpture sold for a record $105 million – a new high for any work of art.

The numerous sales reported over AIFAF’s first day included:

The Richard Green Gallery’s sale of Eugene von Blaas’s “Conversation on the Terrace, Venice” priced at $1 million

Surovek Gallery’s sale of an Andrew Wyeth painting priced at $750,000

Walt Whitman’s original manuscript for “Leaves of Grass,” priced at $480,000 was acquired from 19th Century Shop.

Evelyn Aimis sold an Henri Matisse drawing, “Portrait de Femme,” priced at $350,000, and two rare Picasso Ambrose Vollard etchings from the 1930s, and a unique work by Robert Rauschenberg.

Lawrence Steigrad Fine Arts sold Bernhard Österman’s 1928 “Temptation,” at $225,000, first exhibited in 1928 at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, and later part of the collection of psychic Jeane Dixon

“Avenue Foch” by Jean Dufy, at $150,000, and a Dufy watercolor at $45,000 were acquired from Galerie Jacque Bailly

A.B. Levy sold an important six-figure chandelier

Holden Luntz Gallery sold photographs by Harry Benson, Nick Brandt and Frank Horvack.

Among the other dealers reporting first-day sales were Waterhouse & Dodd, Alexander Gallery, Brenske Gallery, Dickinson, Eostone, Galerie Terminus, Guarisco Gallery, Graff, Hancock’s, Imperial Oriental Art/Fine Books, Lebreton Gallery, Lillian Nassau, MacConnal-Mason, Goedhuis Contemporary, Richter’s, Sylvia Powell, The Silver Fund, Tomasso Brothers, Van Cleef and Arpels, Veronique Bamps, Whitford, William Cook, William Weston and Willow Gallery.

“The 2010 edition of AIFAF looks to be the most successful show in recent years,” said David Lester. “The numerous sales reported early in the show indicate that the nadir of the recession has passed and that collectors are once again feeling comfortable with purchasing excellent works of fine art from major dealers.”

“We are extremely happy with the fair, and the caliber of people who have attended,” said Holden Luntz of Holden Luntz Gallery.

AIFAF brought together more than 80 dealers from over a dozen countries to present outstanding work including Old Masters, 18th and 19th century European and American paintings, modern and contemporary art, lavish period furniture, dazzling jewelry and rare antiques. The fair’s strictly vetted offerings reflect traditional, modern and contemporary collecting trends.

The American International Fine Art Fair is open for the last day, today until 6 pm at the Palm Beach County Convention Center.

Carl and Iris Apfel

Tristan Eckert and Stacey Shore

Lee Callahan and Tricia Callahan Keitel

Wilbur Ross and Hilary Geary Ross

Graff models Jessica Santiago and Andrea Mejvtova

Christine and Bill Aylward

Stephanie Rockwell and Scott Moses

Tricia Callahan Keitel and Frederick Keitel

Nancy and Walter Raquet

Hilary Geary Ross, Mario Buatta, and Mashi and Manucher Azmudea

Nadine Kalachnikoff and Lars Bolander

Lee Ann and David Lester

Nadine Kalachnikoff, Marilyn White, and Lars Bolander

Jennifer Garrigues

Jen Drahan and Todd Hutcheson

Mashi Azmudea visiting Tiffany and Co.

Photographs by LILA PHOTO

Last Monday night, Groundhog Day Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. Which, according to legend means six more weeks of winter weather. However, over at Doubles, the private club in the Sherry-Netherland, nobody seemed to mind at the cocktail party in honor of Doubles’ Associate Committee - past and present.

Peach Bellinis and the Doubles’ dee-licious hot and cold hors d’oeuvres were served. Among the members Wendy Carduner greeted at the door were Margo Langenberg, Mark Gilbertson, Leslie Heaney, Anne and George Baker, Michelle Smith and Andy Oshrin, Stephanie Krieger and Brian Stewart, Lisa McCarthy, Tom Leeds, Martha and John Glass, Ros and Fran L’Esperance, Alexia Hamm Ryan, Todd Romano, Gillian and Sylvester Miniter, Bruce Addison, Lorna Graev, Bryan Colwell, Courtney Arnot, Victoria Lindgren, Lise Arliss, Shane Krige, Victoria Greenleaf, Tom Dittmer, Melissa and Chappy Morris, Monty Hackett, Frances Schultz, Robert Lindgren, Nina Richter, Amy Hoadley, Katie Tozer, Jeremy Goldstein, Nancy Amling, Lisa Selby, Stephen Murray, Mary Snow, Blakely Griggs, Holly Hunt, Evelyn Tompkins and Jeff Sharp.

Melissa Morris and Todd Romano

Bruce Addison, Victoria Lindgren, and Shane Krige

Stephanie Krieger and Brian Stewart

Wendy Carduner, Lisa McCarthy, and Alexia Hamm Ryan

Mark Gilbertson, Martha Glass, and Jeff Sharp

Gillian and Sylvester Miniter

Tom Dittmer and Frances Schultz

Courtney Arnot and Leslie Heaney

Nina Richter and Amy Hoadley

Lorna Graev, Victoria Greenleaf, and Tom Leeds

Katie Tozer and Jeremy Goldstein

Monty Hackett with Ros and Fran L'Esperance

Nancy Amling, Mark Gilbertson, Lisa Selby, and Amy Hoadley

Mary Snow and Bryan Colwell

Evelyn Tompkins

Blakely Griggs and Holly Hunt

Stephen Murray and Lise Arliss

Michelle Smith, Andy Oshrin, and Gillian Miniter

George and Anne Baker

Photographs by Roger Webster

Last Thursday night in New York, The Human Security Association (“HSA”) held its inaugural Power of Muze Concert in support of the United Nations at Carnegie Hall to raise awareness of human security issues, and to kick-off further initiatives to promote human security globally.

Permanent Representatives and Ambassadors from UN Member States, high-ranking UN officials, philanthropists and other prominent individuals, gathered at a private reception hosted by Le Parker Meridien before making their way to Carnegie Hall for the concert which featured acclaimed Japanese sopranos Asako Tamura and Mari Moriya accompanied by Serbian pianist Djordje Nesic who opened the concert.

Jay Shibata, Sae Endler, Tomo Nomura (HSA Founder), Keiko Aoki, and Hiroshi Kimura

World famous cellist Maya Beiser’s rendition of Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir inspired Foreigner’s Mick Jones who attended with Anne Dexter Jones and their musician son Alexander Jones (often called “an early David Bowie,” he is releasing a new album this year): “I played with Led Zeppelin last year. This gives me ideas for the next concert!”

As emcee, journalist and former UN correspondent Michael Okwu moved the audience with his personal story as a refugee of the Biafran crisis in his native Nigeria. He introduced the visionary behind HSA, Tomo Nomura.

Anisha Lakhani, Susan Bond, Dasha Brave, and Beata Bohman

Fay Ann Lee

HSA was founded as the private sector’s non-profit correspondent to the efforts made to date by the UN to advance human security. HSA’s mission is, through performances and other music related activities, to raise awareness of the UN’s human security initiatives worldwide; raise funds from the private sector to support initiatives which protect and empower people facing critical and pervasive threats such as poverty, hunger, forced migration, human trafficking, and/or armed conflict; and to encourage the private sector’s proactive involvement and utilization of all possible resources.

Among these resources HSA believes in the universal power of music to inspire and generate hope - hence, the name Power of Muze as its program is called. Kazuo Tase, Chief of the UN’s Human Security Unit, echoed the people centered-approach, noting that it is crucial to view the issues from the “eye height” of the people rather than the overreaching perspectives of Governments, to truly effect change.

For more information, please visit www.humansecurity.or.jp [2].