On Wednesday evening, the New York art world gathered at Tribeca Rooftop for a milestone celebration of the Rema Hort Mann Fund’s 30-year legacy. More than 300 artists, collectors, philanthropists, and art world leaders turned out to honor founder Susan Hort, artist Jacolby Satterwhite, and patrons George Wells and Manfred Rantner, raising $1.5 million in support of the organization’s mission. With an auction of more than 80 artworks, tributes from Mickalene Thomas and Dr. Shoshana Hort, and the launch of a landmark new grant for artists living with cancer, the evening looked toward the fund’s future.
The Scene: A formidable cross-section of New York’s art-world denizens descended on Tribeca for the event. The evening opened with a bustling cocktail reception, where guests surveyed artworks donated by emerging and established creatives before settling in for dinner, an awards ceremony, and a spirited live auction. Satterwhite‘s surreal, immersive A Metta Prayer, originally commissioned for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Great Hall in 2023, provided a visual centerpiece throughout the festivities.
The Occasion: Thirty years after its founding, the Rema Hort Mann Fund celebrated a legacy of $9.5 million in support distributed to more than 650 emerging artists and 2,400 cancer patients and their families. The anniversary also marked the organization’s first major expansion: the Artists Living with Cancer Grant, which will provide at least $10,000 in unrestricted funding to 10 artists in the New York metropolitan area.
The Crowd: Joining the festivities were RHMF Executive Director Elysia Bowory; artists Mickalene Thomas, Dana Schutz, Katherine Bradford, Cristina BanBan, Fred Tomaselli, Russell Craig, Aliza Nisenbaum, Erik Parker, Marcus Jahmal, and Terron Cooper Sorrells; gallerists Stefania Bortolami, Anton Kern, Derek Eller, Nino Mier, Rachel Uffner, and Wendy Olsoff; collectors and philanthropists Poju and Anita Zabludowicz; and cultural leaders Regan Grusy, Courtney J. Martin, Heather Hubbs, Chris Vroom, and Rose Fiorentino.
The Entertainment: Donated artworks took center stage as Phillips partnered with the RHMF on an auction featuring more than 80 works by artists including Njideka Akunyili Crosby, Dana Schutz, and Mickalene Thomas. Following the online bidding and dinner program, Phillips Deputy Chairman Jeremiah Evarts presided over a four-lot live auction.
Memorable Moment: In remarks, Satterwhite reflected on his childhood diagnosis of bone cancer, recalling when he was told that treatment might cost him the use of his right arm. When he awoke from surgery able to move his hand, the experience permanently altered his relationship to art-making. “That gratitude remained with me, and my entire life became about being a bullet train of ambition to make a mark that feels immortal, just in case it comes back again,” he told the room.
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