Auction Strings Up Photos and Bids

For the Humane Society of New York’s second photography auction, the planning team suspended the auction items from the ceiling and bidding sheets from boxes of beer.

April 19, 2007

Pet lovers from all walks of life, including celebrities, high-profile photographers, and art connoisseurs, gathered at the Humane Society of New York’s fine art photography auction on Monday, April 16, to view and bid on a collection of 188 photographs, with all proceeds being donated to further the society’s work with abused, sick, and stray pets. With such a large number of works to exhibit, Sandra Defeo, the society’s co-executive director, worked with the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Baryshnikov Arts Center to liven up the display. In addition to lining the walls with the photographs, Toma Fichter of the Metropolitan Museum of Art suspended the pieces on wires, creating rows within the open space of the studio. Bidding sheets for the items sat beneath, hanging from a clothesline attached to cases of Black Dog (donated by the beer company).Held at the Howard Gilman performance space—two of the center’s studios combined—the event drew some 350 guests, who sampled an all-vegetarian menu of hors d’oeuvres provided by Elegant Affairs and played with two puppies from the society’s adoption center.

—AnnaMaria Andriotis

Posted 04.19.07

Photos: A. Scott/Patrick McMullan (bidding sheets, appetizer, dessert), BizBash (photos, auction, pianist)

Toma Fichter of the Metropolitan Museum of Art suspended photographs on wires throughout the space. Strung from a clothesline, the bidding sheets sat beneath the items up for auction.

Vegetarian appetizers included Moroccan cigars in a yogurt dill dipping sauce.

Guests bid on pieces such as an autographed print of Madonna shot by Jean-Baptiste Mondino and a full-body image of Victoria’s Secret model Alessandra Ambrosio taken by Pamela Hanson.

In addition to the silent auction, the evening finished with a live auction overseen by auctioneer Rick Wester, worldwide head of photographs for Phillips de Pury & Company.

Dessert included a last-minute addition to the menu—mini chocolate and vanilla cookie lollipops. Shaped like sunflowers, the cookies, which had a pastel yellow, green, or peach center, sat on skewers and rested in beds of wheat grass.