TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art 2013
Benefiting amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research
and the Dallas Museum of Art
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT:
Barbara Buzzell
The Buzzell Company
214-219-9191
bb@buzzellco.com
MORE THAN $5 MILLION RAISED AT 2013 TWO x TWO FOR AIDS AND ART
MORE THAN $45 Million Raised for amfAR and Dallas Museum of Art
Over 15 Year History
Artist Luc Tuymans Piece Goes for $700K
Special Musical Performance by Multi Grammy® Award Winner Gladys Knight
DALLAS (October 27, 2013) – On Saturday, October 26, the 15th annual TWO x TWO for AIDS and Artbenefit dinner and contemporary art auction raised more than $5 million in artworks, luxury and fashion goods and experiences sold with funds benefiting amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, and the Dallas Museum of Art.
Close to 500 people attended the sold-out black-tie event, chaired by noted art patron and longtime TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art supporter, Christen Wilson, and hosted annually by Cindy and Howard Rachofsky at their Richard Meier-designed home, The Rachofsky House.
“By raising $5 million, this landmark year is a testament to the continued support for AIDS research at amfAR,” said Howard Rachofsky. “This event would not be possible without the generosity of the renowned artists, gallerists and event patrons who have helped us raise $45 million over the past 15 years.”
The gala night included cocktails and a silent auction, followed by dinner and a live auction conducted by Jamie Niven, Chairman, Sotheby’s, North and South America. The evening began with a videotaped thank you to the sponsors humorously presented by TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art supporter, actor and international star Alan Cumming. Throughout the evening, congratulatory videos from past celebrity guests and honored artists including Mark Grotjahn, Dita Von Teese, Sharon Stone, Jim Hodges, Joel Shapiro and Tom Friedman played on the sides of the geodesic dome, offering best wishes for a successful fifteen years of amazing fundraising for the two important organizations.
Kevin Frost, amfAR CEO, presented the President of Kiehl’s Since 1851, Chris Salgardo, with the 2013 amfAR Leadership Award for his longtime commitment, both personally and professionally, to amfAR, its programs and mission. It was a heartfelt presentation as both are close friends and have been committed to raising funds and awareness for the mission of amfAR.
There were 142 works of art offered in the live and silent auctions this year. Artworks by 2013 amfAR honoree Luc Tuymans as well as Israel Lund, Rosemarie Trockel, Garth Weiser and Ugo Rondinone among others were sold during the live auction.
In addition to the live and silent auctions, the evening’s highlight was a special performance by superstar and multi Grammy® Award winner Gladys Knight. Actor Jesse Metcalfe served as the evening’s emcee.
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 more than $45 million in support of essential AIDS research at amfAR and for the Contemporary Art Acquisitions Fund at the Dallas Museum of Art.
Event sponsors included Presenting Sponsor Audi and Platinum Sponsors Christian Dior Couture, Sotheby’s, Nancy C. Rogers, Deedie Rose, and Kiehl’s Since 1851. Gold Sponsors included AT&T, Inc., Aston Martin of Dallas, Chubb Personal Insurance, Dom Perignon, MICHELE Watches, Moët Hennessy USA, Neiman Marcus, Todd Events, U.S. Trust, and U.S. Risk.
The week-long festivities leading up to the TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art Gala included the First Look party on Thursday, October 24, presented by MICHELE Watches. The circus themed event was led by Ringmaster Todd Fiscus of TODD Events with the ever-popular, animated DJ Lucy Wrubel providing the soundtrack for the evening. Guests strolled around the pool behind The Rachofsky House, while enjoying circus-themed games such as the Belvedere Ring Toss, Sprinkles Beanbag Throw, a Steve Wrubel-created photo booth and “Shoutz: Shake and Win,” a mobile device game with prizes donated by Forty Five Ten, Avant Garden, Audi of America, Kiehl’s Since 1851 and Moët Hennessy. The week concluded with a private brunch on Sunday, October 27, during which Luc Tuymans was presented with the amfAR Award of Excellence for Artistic Contributions to the Fight Against AIDS. The brunch was hosted by Amy and Vernon Faulconer.
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, John Benjamin Hickey, Taylor Dayne, Dita Von Teese, Stanley Tucci, Gavin Rossdale, Alan Cumming, Cheyenne Jackson, and Patti LaBelle.
Tuymans joins previous honorees Robert Rauschenberg, Ed Ruscha, Julian Schnabel, April Gornik, Joel Shapiro, Cecily Brown, Tom Friedman, Elizabeth Peyton, Jim Hodges, Peter Doig, Christopher Wool, Mark Grotjahn, and Richard Phillips.
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 $45 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. Since 1985, amfAR has invested over $366 million in its mission and has awarded grants to more than 2,000 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.
Proceeds from TWO x TWO support the DMA’s Contemporary Art Acquisitions Fund and exhibitions and have been used to purchase over 150 major works of contemporary art for the museum over the last thirteen years.
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 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. 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. www.dallasmuseumofart.org