The Ali Forney Center (AFC), an LGBTQ+ youth organization facing a funding drop of over $400,000 from lost corporate sponsors, is holding a benefit exhibition titled "Toward the Light: Artists for the Ali Forney Center" at David Zwirner’s West 19th Street gallery in Chelsea from October 28 to November 1. Organized by art adviser Stephen Truax for the second year, the show features 38 works by artists including Doron Langberg, Jenna Gribbon, Jake Grewal, Ilana Savdie, Anthony Cudahy, Wolfgang Tillmans, Julie Mehretu, and Katherine Bradford, with proceeds supporting AFC’s housing and care for over 2,000 queer youth. Previous editions with Sotheby’s raised over $350,000 and $370,000 respectively.
This exhibition matters because it directly addresses the critical funding challenges LGBTQ+ organizations face amid federal cuts and a rightward shift in philanthropy, demonstrating how the art world can mobilize to support marginalized communities. By leveraging David Zwirner’s blue-chip platform and featuring both emerging and established queer artists, the fundraiser highlights the growing visibility and market centrality of queer art, while providing tangible financial relief to a vital youth shelter. The shift from online to a physical show also signals increased institutional commitment to social causes within the commercial gallery sector.