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$7 MILLION RAISED AT 2014 TWO x TWO FOR AIDS AND ART

$52 Million Raised for amfAR and the Dallas Museum of Art
over 16-Year History of Event

Artist Wade Guyton's Piece Goes for $2.6 Million

DALLAS (October 26, 2014) – On Saturday, October 25, the 16th annual TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art benefit dinner and contemporary art auction raised a record $7 million with funds benefiting amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, and the Dallas Museum of Art.

Close to 465 people attended the sold-out black-tie event, chaired by noted art patrons and longtime TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art supporters, John and Lisa Runyon, and hosted annually by Cindy and Howard Rachofsky at their Richard Meier-designed home, The Rachofsky House.

"Our heartfelt thanks go to the artists, gallerists, and TWO x TWO supporters. Their generosity has allowed us to raise $7 million, bringing our 16-year total to $52 million.  TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art continues to play a monumental role in fundraising for amfAR and the Dallas Museum of Art," said Howard Rachofsky.

The fundraising total was announced this morning by Howard Rachofsky at a private brunch hosted by Amy and Vernon Faulconer and Cindy and Howard Rachofsky. The brunch event was held at The Warehouse, a private art storage facility, owned by Howard Rachofsky and Vernon Faulconer, which includes an extensive library, and 18,000 square feet of exhibition space.

Gavin Delahunty, the Dallas Museum of Art Hoffman Family Senior Curator of Contemporary Art, spoke about artist Wade Guyton and his work, followed by Eric Muscatell, Vice President of Development, amfAR, who presented Wade Guyton with amfAR's 2014 Award of Excellence for Artistic Contributions to the Fight Against AIDS.

The Saturday evening gala was designed by Todd Fiscus of TODD Events, who carried out a golden hued theme within the Freedome, a 7,000-square-foot geodesic dome which stood at 48 feet tall in the center and seated the gala guests.

The night included cocktails and a silent auction, followed by a seated, multi-course dinner. The evening began with thank yous to the sponsors by Cindy and Howard Rachofsky, TWO x TWO Director Melissa Meeks Ireland, and award-winning actor and longtime TWO x TWO supporter John Benjamin Hickey, who also served as the emcee for the gala.

Maxwell Anderson, the Eugene McDermott Director of the Dallas Museum of Art, also addressed the guests. Actor Allison Janney, a guest of Presenting Sponsor Audi of America, introduced the featured entertainer CeeLo Green, the multi Grammy® Award-winning singer/songwriter.

There were 125 works of art offered in the live and silent auctions this year.  The live auction, conducted by Jamie Niven, Chairman, Sotheby's, North and South America, featured works by 2014 amfAR honoree Wade Guyton as well as Do Ho Suh, Jeff Koons, Sadamasa Motonaga, Frank Bowling, Roni Horn, and Shinro Ohtake. Guyton's piece went for a record-breaking $2.6 million.

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. Since its inception, TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art has raised $52 million in support of essential AIDS research at amfAR and for the Contemporary Art Acquisitions Fund at the Dallas Museum of Art.

VIPs and Sponsors in attendance were:

·    Cindy and Howard Rachofsky – TWO x TWO Hosts
·    Wade Guyton – TWO x TWO 2014 Honored Artist
·    CeeLo Green – Multi Grammy Award winner and featured performer
·    John Benjamin Hickey – Emcee and long-time TWO x TWO supporter
·    Melissa Meeks Ireland – TWO x TWO Director
·    Maxwell L. Anderson – Eugene McDermott Director, Dallas Museum of Art
·    John and Lisa Runyon – TWO x TWO Gala Chairs
·    Eric Muscatell – Vice President of Development, amfAR
·    Andrew Lipman and Michael Patrick – Presenting Sponsor, AUDI of America
·    Nancy Rogers – Presenting Sponsor, Philanthropist

Platinum Sponsors

Jamie Niven – Chairman, Sotheby's and TWO x TWO 2013 Auctioneer
Chris Salgard – President, Kiehl's Since 1851; 2013 amfAR Leadership Award recipient

Gold Sponsors

Peggy Lanigan – Dom Pérignon
Nancy Nasher and David Haemisegger – NorthPark Center
Randall G. Goss – U.S. Risk

Notable Attendees and Donors

·    Tom Alexander – partner of Wade Guyton
·    Erykah Badu – singer/songwriter, guest of Platinum Sponsor Kiehl's Since 1851
·    Tyson Chandler – Dallas Mavericks
·    Nish de Gruiter - designer
·    John Benjamin Hickey - actor
·    Allison Janney – actor, guest of Presenting Sponsor Audi of America
·    Jerry and Gene Jones – Dallas Cowboys owner
·    Thomas Keller – chef
·    Hassan Pierre – designer
·    Deedie Rose – TWO x TWO supporter and philanthropist
·    Lela Rose – designer

Artist Attendees:

·    Kathryn Andrews
·    Jennifer Guidi
·    Wade Guyton
·    Wyatt Khan
·    Sam Moyer
·    Bettina Pousttci
·    Torey Thornton
·    Quinn Tivey

Top Dealers/Gallerists:  

·    Tim Blum
·    Stephen Friedman
·    Casey Kaplan
·    David Maupin
·    Friedrich Petzel

Over the years, previous VIP celebrity guests at TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art events have included Sharon Stone, Sigourney Weaver, Shirley MacLaine, Liza Minnelli, Barry Manilow , Natasha Richardson, Taylor Dayne, Dita Von Teese, Stanley Tucci, Gavin Rossdale, Alan Cumming, Cheyenne Jackson, Patti LaBelle, Diane Von Furstenberg, Jesse Metcalfe, Gilles Marini, and Gladys Knight.

Renowned artists Robert Rauschenberg, Ed Ruscha, Julian Schnabel, April Gornik, Joel Shapiro, Cecily Brown, Tom Friedman, Elizabeth Peyton, Jim Hodges, Peter Doig, Christopher Wool, Mark Grotjahn, Richard Phillips, Luc Tuymans and Wade Guyton have been honored over the past 16 years of TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art.

The week-long festivities leading up to the TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art gala included the First Look with Tory Burch Watches for Fossil® Group preview party and fundraiser on Thursday, October 23. The "Rat Pack" themed event, designed by Todd Fiscus of TODD Events, was hosted by Nasiba Hartland-Mackie, international style icon and Buro 24/7 fashion blogger. The ever-popular, ultimate music curator DJ Lucy Wrubel rocked the tunes, while the outrageously-talented Chad Michaels, winner of RuPaul's All Stars Drag race, entertained the guests. Guests strolled around the pool behind The Rachofsky House, while enjoying culinary creations from Lombardi Family Concepts, cocktails by Belvedere Vodka, and casino games.

For more information, please visit  www.twoxtwo.org.

About TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art
Since its inception, TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art has raised $52 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 the Dallas Museum of Art and is recognized as one of the top events in Dallas.

TWO x TWO FOR AIDS AND ART BENEFICIARIES
amfAR, founded in 1985, is dedicated to ending the global AIDS epidemic through innovative research. With the freedom and flexibility to respond quickly to emerging areas of scientific promise, amfAR plays a catalytic role in accelerating the pace of HIV/AIDS research and achieving real breakthroughs. amfAR-funded research has increased our understanding of HIV and has helped lay the groundwork for major advances in the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS. Intensifying its research efforts, in 2014 amfAR launched the Countdown to a Cure for HIV/AIDS, a bold new initiative aimed at finding a broadly applicable cure for HIV by 2020.  Since 1985, amfAR has invested over $388 million in its mission and has awarded grants to more than 3,300 research teams worldwide. TWO x TWO is amfAR's largest fundraiser in the United States. www.amfar.org 

The Dallas Museum of Art, established in 1903, has an encyclopedic collection of more than 26,000 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 Dallas Arts District and 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 a 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. The Dallas Museum of Art is supported in part by the generosity of Museum members and donors and by the citizens of Dallas through the City of Dallas/Office of Cultural Affairs and the Texas Commission on the Arts.

Proceeds from TWO x TWO support the DMA's Contemporary Art Acquisitions Fund and exhibitions and have been used to purchase over 170 major works of contemporary art for the museum over the last 15 years. www.dallasmuseumofart.org

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