NEW YORK ACADEMY OF ART + SOTHEBY’S “TAKE HOME A NUDE” BENEFIT AUCTION 2019

On October 15th the New York Academy of Art presents their annual “Take Home a Nude“ benefit auction at Sotheby’s, honoring Brooklyn-based artist Dana Schutz. All proceeds go towards scholarships and programs for the Academy. The auction includes over 200 pieces of sculpture, paintings, and drawings by notable artists, including many of their MFA graduates. Several exciting lots are available, including a portrait session by celebrated artist Will Cotton – opening bid at $150,000, as well as a highly coveted 1980’s print by Cindy Sherman.

There is no official theme of the auction, so the subject matter runs from innocent kittens to pretty landscapes to unflinching nudes and spooky portrayals of the human condition. A sculpture commissioned by the North American Sculpture Center and Jago, and an oil painting by Rebecca Leveille will make you rethink how our perceptions play tricks on us. The Untitled Magazine’s Indira Cesarine has a lovely intaglio etching that showcases the beauty of the female body surrounded by lush foliage that has an innocent provocation. Some of the funkier pieces include a photograph by Kat Toronto AKA Miss Meatface and an acrylic painting of a man painting a naked woman by Walter Robinson.

Yes, “Take Home a Nude” does include lots of nudes, but it also shows animals, the environment, flowers, bugs, and everyday objects in both real and strangely distorted ways. Those who attend the auction can expect to be comforted by the dark simplicity of Susan Williams’s Ice II, and haunted by the complexity of Jeanette Hayes‘s portrayal of toys we played with, admired, and held onto as kids. There’s something for everyone at this auction, and nobody who attends will leave disappointed, even if they leave with their hands empty.

All pieces are available to view and bid on now on Paddle8, and you can find tickets for the live auction on the New York Academy of Art website. Starting bids begin at $150 and range through a wide variety of price points, so it’s definitely worth browsing. If you decide to get a ticket, the auction starts at 6 pm with dinner at 8:30.