Sotheby’s Will Present First All-Women Artist Benefit Sale

Sotheby’s has announced plans for a fundraising initiative to benefit Miss Porter’s School, the all-girls private high school in Connecticut that counts Jackie Kennedy and Katharine Hepburn among its illustrious alumni.

The auction house will gather modern and contemporary artworks by more than 25 pioneering female artists to be sold together as the centerpiece of Sotheby’s Contemporary Curated auction on March 1, 2019. The offering will represent the first-ever all-women benefit auction at a major auction house.

The benefit will be cochaired by Oprah Winfrey and Agnes Gund.

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“It is a privilege to help bring to life the vision of Miss Porter’s School, Ms. Gund, and Ms. Winfrey for an all-women artist auction this spring,” Saara Pritchard, senior specialist in Sotheby’s contemporary art department, said in a statement. “Both Ms. Gund and Ms. Winfrey have demonstrated a fierce dedication to the advancement of women’s education worldwide as well as an unwavering patronage of the arts. This wonderful partnership represents a highpoint for the Contemporary Curated series, and it is our privilege to help raise both awareness and funds for this important initiative, through an auction that is only made possible by the incredible generosity of the artists and collectors who have donated works.”

The prestigious all-girls school will put the proceeds of the auction toward financial aid. Photo: Courtesy of Miss Porter’s School

Following the presale exhibition opening in Sotheby’s New York galleries on February 22, 2019, the works will be auctioned to support financial aid that enables emerging female leaders to attend Miss Porter’s School and go on to shape a changing world.

Works by more than 25 artists are being donated to the auction, including a major abstract painting by Carmen Herrera, Blanco y Verde (1966–67). Pieces by the following artists will also be on offer, representing a diverse selection of some of the most innovative artists of the past century, such as Ghada Amer, Alice Aycock, Cecily Brown, Mariana Cook, Jay DeFeo, Liz Glynn, Katharina Grosse, Jane Hammond, Jenny Holzer, Roni Horn, Chantal Joffe, Louise Lawler, Vera Lutter, Beatriz Milhazes, Mariko Mori, Sarah Morris, Catherine Opie, Dorothea Rockburne, Ursula von Rydingsvard, Cindy Sherman, Jean Shin, Kiki Smith, and Carrie Mae Weems.

Details on individual works and a full list of artists will be released in early 2019.