The New York art scene was bustling with events this week. The New York Botanical Garden held its annual Orchid Dinner at the Plaza Hotel, featuring elaborate floral designs and guests like Martha Stewart and Sigourney Weaver. Meanwhile, Sotheby's hosted the Art for Water benefit auction for the Waterkeeper Alliance, with works by Jeff Koons and Ed Ruscha, and the New Museum celebrated the opening of a major Raymond Pettibon exhibition.
CORE and TBA21 Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary are launching "Get Up Stand Up: Artists for Jamaica and Los Angeles," a high-profile benefit auction scheduled for February 26 during L.A. Art Week. The event features over 20 works by major contemporary artists including Henry Taylor, Hank Willis Thomas, and Nari Ward, with a live sale led by auctioneer Simon de Pury. Proceeds will fund long-term recovery efforts following Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica and recent wildfires in Los Angeles, as well as CORE’s ongoing emergency response work.
Frieze Los Angeles week kicked off with a flurry of high-profile events, celebrity sightings, and charitable initiatives across the city. Key highlights included the Felix Art Fair, where RF. Alvarez’s painting inspired by the queer hockey drama 'Heated Rivalry' drew significant attention, and a major benefit auction led by Simon de Pury that raised over $500,000 for natural disaster relief. The week also featured a prestigious gathering at a private James Turrell Skyspace to celebrate the Serpentine Americas Foundation.
John Oliver’s benefit auction for public broadcasting set a new market record for a Bob Ross painting. On Monday, Ross’s *Cabin at Sunset*, painted for a 1986 episode of PBS’s *The Joy of Painting*, sold for roughly $1,044,000. Oliver revealed the sale on the 2025 finale of *Last Week Tonight With John Oliver*, having persuaded the Bob Ross estate to auction the work. The lot received 35 bids. The auction was part of “John Oliver’s Junk,” an online sale of 65 items that netted nearly $1.54 million for the Public Media Bridge Fund, which supports local public broadcasters after the Trump administration eliminated $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Dallas Contemporary held its annual gala and benefit auction on a balmy night, raising over $1 million. The event, presented by Headington Companies and board president Ann McReynolds with John McReynolds, featured a live auction led by Christie’s Brett Sherlock, a runway show by students from Booker T. Washington School for the Performing Arts, and a surprise donation from painter Francisco Moreno. Guests included philanthropist Grace Cook, collector Marguerite Hoffman, artist Vicki Meek, and museum director Jeremy Strick, among others.
A 1987 Bob Ross painting, *Cabin at Sunset*, sold for $1.04 million in a benefit auction hosted by late-night comedian John Oliver, setting a new auction record for the artist. The work was painted during the second episode of the 10th season of Ross's television series *The Joy of Painting*. The online sale, which concluded November 24, included 65 eclectic lots—from presidential wax figures to a signed bucket of dolls—and raised funds for the Public Media Bridge Fund, which supports independent broadcasters amid federal cuts to public broadcasting.
Dallas Contemporary held its annual gala and benefit auction on a balmy night, raising over $1 million. The event, presented by Headington Companies and board president Ann McReynolds with John McReynolds, featured atmospheric still lifes by Shayna Fontana Horowitz, a live auction led by Christie’s Brett Sherlock, and a runway show by students from Booker T. Washington School for the Performing Arts. Highlights included a $100,000 gift from the Eugene McDermott Foundation to fund free admission through 2026 and a surprise donation from painter Francisco Moreno, who will have a solo exhibition at the institution in spring 2026.
The Institute of Modern Art (IMA) in Brisbane is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a gala and benefit auction on October 15, 2025, at The Calile Hotel. The black-tie event with a surrealist twist will feature a seated banquet, avant-garde performances, and a live auction of contemporary works by leading Australian artists, including newly crowned Archibald Prize winner Julie Fragar, Sam Cranstoun, Richard Bell, and Craig & Karl. Online bidding opens on October 15, and a raffle for luxury prizes from Brisbane brands is also available.
The Institute of Modern Art (IMA) in Brisbane, Australia's longest-running independent contemporary art gallery, will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a surrealist-themed gala dinner and art auction on October 31 at The Calile Hotel. The event features a sit-down banquet, a benefit auction with works by leading artists including 2025 Archibald Prize winner Julie Fragar, a raffle with prizes from local venues, and live performances. Attendees are encouraged to dress in black tie with a surrealist twist, and artists will be present to interact with buyers.
The Institute of Modern Art (IMA) in Brisbane, Australia, is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a themed gala dinner and art auction on October 31 at The Calile Hotel. The event, organized by a committee including Phoebe Zavros, will feature a surrealist theme—marking the centenary of André Breton's first surrealist manifesto—with a black-tie dress code and a sit-down banquet. The IMA Benefit Auction will offer works by leading artists such as 2025 Archibald Prize winner Julie Fragar, with artists present to interact with buyers. The gala also includes a raffle and live performances, aiming to raise funds and highlight emerging talent.