The 25th annual ARTWALK NY, New York’s premiere charity art auction, took place on November 18th at Spring Studios to benefit the Coalition for the Homeless. The evening celebrated the role of “artist-as-activist” in an effort to raise awareness about the issues of homelessness, poverty and social injustice. ARTWALK NY was presented this year by the esteemed Italian fashion house Max Mara and honored the artistic achievements of Katherine Bernhardt, generous philanthropic support of Michael Platt and chaired by Maria Giulia Maramotti. The event was marked by one of the strongest attendances ever, with over 700 guests coming together to support the Coalition for the Homeless in their ongoing fight for proven, humane and cost-effective solutions to mass homelessness.
"The remarkable turnout and high energy crowd made this a hugely successful event,” said David Giffen, Executive Director of Coalition for the Homeless. “It was really moving to see so many compassionate New Yorkers come out to support our homeless neighbors.”
The charity auction saw every lot in the live auction sold. Notable highlights included the sale of Ed Ruscha’s “Says I, To Myself” for $98,000. In addition, Bernhardt partnered with Prospect to created 150 limited edition dinner plates featuring Bernhardt’s iconic work The Acrobatic Dance. The plates were made specifically for the event and sold for $150 each. 20 plates hand-signed by Katherine Bernhardt were also auctioned off in the live auction for $1,000 each. The plates sold out within the first hour of the event. The proceeds from the plate sales support the Coalition’s mobile soup kitchen. Each $150 plate purchased provides hot meals to 75 homeless New Yorkers.