As dusk cut through the light of a warm Thursday evening, an esteemed crowd of artists, patrons, and collectors streamed into the Grill in Midtown for Coalition for the Homeless‘s 32nd Artwalk NY gala and auction. The annual benefit brought together New York’s creative and philanthropic communities to raise funds for the organization’s frontline programs supporting individuals and families experiencing homelessness. The glittering fête honored artists KAWS and Julia Chiang, as well as the philanthropic patronage of Rich Kleiman, co-founder and CEO of entertainment company Boardroom.
The Occasion: The celebration featured a live auction including pieces from the Coalition’s annual Artist Plate Project. Forty renowned artists contributed original works for the fine bone-china plates, including KAWS, Jenny Holzer, Mickalene Thomas, Nicolas Party, Kenny Scharf, Derrick Adams, and the Haas Brothers. Since its launch in 2020, the initiative has raised more than $8 million for the Coalition. Online bidding remains open through Nov. 2 at 4 p.m. ET.
The Scene: Returning to its favored venue for another year, the auction took place at the Grill in Midtown’s landmark Seagram Building, where warm lighting, sculptural floral arrangements, and displays of artist-designed plates provided a striking backdrop. Guests gathered for cocktails before settling into an intimate dinner, awards ceremony, and auction. Eight-time Emmy Award-winning journalist Monica Morales hosted the proceedings, which featured remarks from Coalition Executive Director Dave Giffen, Board Chair Barry Berke, and guest speaker Gregory Williams.
The Guest List: Amongst the crowd was a host of contemporary visionaries, including musician and producer Mark Ronson; artists Lee Quiñones, Futura 2000, Shantell Martin, Nicolas Party, Tomokazu Matsuyama, Enoc Perez, Derrick Adams, Julia Jo, Indira Cesarine, and Beau McCall; designer Brian Atwood; nightlife personality Dianne Brill; and advisor Aileen Agopian.
The Entertainment: Mark Ronson presented Kleiman with his honor, while artist Lee Quiñones recognized Chiang and KAWS for their contributions to the arts and their community. Aileen Agopian led the live auction and pledge, with proceeds benefiting the Coalition’s work providing meals, clothing, emergency supplies, housing assistance, and educational programming for New Yorkers experiencing homelessness.
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