RxArt PARTY celebrates Warby Parker’s Neil Blumenthal and Multimedia artist Rashid Johnson with a lavish dinner and cocktail hour in NYC.
On the 9th of November, hosted in a 12th floor aerie at iconic 432 Park Avenue (the tallest and most exclusive building in NYC), patrons, honorees and friends joined RxArt Founder and President Diane Brown for a live auction, dinner, and awards ceremony. The evening honored artist Rashid Johnson and Warby Parker Co-Founder, Co-CEO and RxArt board member Neil Blumenthal.
RxArt’s mission is simple: commissioning exceptional contemporary artists to transform pediatric hospital and health care spaces into engaging and inspiring environments full of beauty, humor and comfort.
During the cocktail hour and awards ceremony, Nancy Spector (Artistic Director and Jennifer and David Stockman Chief Curator at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum), presented Rashid Johnson with the RxArt Inspiration Award in celebration of his extraordinary multidisciplinary practice and creativity, and the engaging installation he’s creating for a new children’s clinic at Loma Linda University Children’s Health in Indio, CA.
Neil Blumenthal was presented the RxArt Innovation Award by Diane Brown for his philanthropic work and steadfast guidance on the RxArt board.
“Neil has helped us exponentially expand our mission, and transform so many hospitals into inspiring places for children across the country,” said Diane Brown, RxArt Founder and President.
Shaun Hergatt provided dishes for the guests in the dining room. There was a musical performance by classically-trained pianist and music producer Antoine Baldwin, who worked with Johnson on “Antoine’s Organ”, a multidisciplinary piece.
Auction artists included Rashid Johnson, Harold Ancart, Sanford Biggers, Marcel Dzama, Daniel Heidkamp, Sheree Hovsepian, Barry McGee, Joel Mesler, Angel Otero, Laura Owens, Maurizio Pellegrin, Ed Ruscha, and Lawrence Weiner. The works were stunning.
We spoke with Neil Blumenthal about his award: “RxArt has always been, in some ways, in line with the mission that Warby Parker started with: giving back. From the beginning, Warby Parker has given eyeglasses to those in need for every pair sold.”
Notable guests from the worlds of art, business, tech, fashion, beauty and medicine converged to support, including artists Isca Greenfield-Sanders, Sheree Hovsepian, Joel Mesler, Angel Otero, Maurizio Pellegrin, Christie’s International Director, Head of Post-War & Contemporary Art and auctioneer Sara Friedlander; model Lauren Layne; philanthropist and supporters of the arts Agnes Gund attended as well as art world notables Vittorio Calabrese, David Rothschild, and Joyce Varvatos.
In the past 18 years, RxArt has completed over 40 projects with over 50 artists in hospitals throughout 17 cities in the U.S. RxArt produces every project at no cost to the hospitals. Every artist is provided with an honorarium and the chance to transform the lives of children as they heal. RxArt has collaborated with top contemporary artists from around the world, including Dan Colen, Urs Fischer, Keith Haring, Jeff Koons, Laura Owens, Rob Pruitt, Ed Ruscha, and more.
Find RxArt on instagram @RxArt and online at https://rxart.net.
