The Director of the Rema Hort Mann Foundation concluded his introduction by exclaiming to the large audience that he had a very special surprise for us that he had been working on and was so happy to say had finally come through. In honor of the evening’s event title, he said, the iconic CINDY LAUPER was there to show her support! Great applause ensued, people gasped, cameras flashed, every gay man sat up at the edge of his seat and then?!… no Cindy. “Ha ha ha,” the Foundation director said, “you don’t get everything you wish for. And now, let’s throw it to the panelists!” These poor women had to crawl up out of a ditch of disappointment that the man had set them up in, basically begging the audience for their trust and attention in the wake of a lame practical joke that diminished the evening’s bright and hopeful mood. Such is how the night began…
Last night I had the pleasure of attending an event at Chelsea’s PPOW Gallery for the Rema Hort Mann Foundation. In conjunction with two of our favorite arts organizations – Artlog and the Professional Organization of Women in the Arts – the Rema Hort Mann Foundation gave guests a special preview and chance to bid on dozens of donated works of Contemporary art, which will be sold in a silent auction culminating tomorrow night. The proceeds will benefit collectors Susan and Michael Hort’s foundation in honor of their late daughter Rema, who passed away of cancer 15 years ago at the age of 30. The Horts are known for their generosity of spirit and genuine commitment to emerging artists, as evidenced in their yearly brunch hosted for hundreds of guests in their Tribeca home and exhibition space. The Rema Hort Mann Foundation’s mission is two-fold: it awards grants to approximately 8 emerging artists each year to sustain the cost of living and creating, and allows cancer patients to enjoy the support and presence of their loved ones while undergoing treatment by paying for airplane tickets, babysitter fees, long-distance calls, etc. As a member of the Professional Organization of Women in the Arts I was able to get a short tour of the artworks for sale last night by Susan Hort. I loved learning of her personal preferences amongst the artists (and got a laugh of of hearing that she has a Lisa Yuskavage shower curtain in her guest bath, to the surprise of her house guests). The main event of the night was, however, the panel discussion on the topic of the discrepancy of market prices and experiences between male and female artists, titled “Girls Just Wanna Have Funds.” Many of you followed @BLAISEartworld’s live twitter feed of the discussion, which turned into a lively and inclusive online conversation once the panel itself had ended. Under the hash-tag #GJWTHF I recounted the dialogue of panel participants Amy Cappelazzo, Marilyn Minter, Mary Ceruti, Sarah Douglas and Xaviera Simmons as they “hashed out” why female artists statistically sell at lower auction prices than men do, how the female artist’s studio practice differs from her male counterpart’s, if attaining your financial dream is simply a matter of demanding it with confidence, and how this problematic differential between quantifiable measures of female and male successes is certainly not limited to people making a living in fine art. Here is the BLAISEartworld twitter transcript; thank you again to everyone to participated, followed, shared feedback, and enjoyed!
Heading to @PPOWGallery for the @POWArts @artlog panel Girls Just Wanna Have Funds. Countdown to some live twittering from moi.
There’s a Lisa Yuskavage showe curtain up for grabs at @PPOWGallery Rema Hort Mann charity auction
Speakers @PPOWGallery: Xaviera Simmons, Mary Ceruti Sarah Douglas, Marilyn Minter, Amy Cappellazzo
About to get a little private tour of the sale from Mr and Mrs Hort thanks to @POWArts
Ms Marilyn Minter just arrived and the party can now begin @PPOWGallery
Mrs Hort telling me how Kehinde Wiley studied to be a chef as back up to his pro artist dreams
Mrs Hort asked friend Marlene Dumas to donate a drawing, and she kindly sent a 200k painting from her Holland studio instead.
91 works of art took team of 8 handlers and 89 artists, here at the Rema Hort Mann Fdtn auction
RGMF gives grants for cancer patients to stay in contact with their family while seperated due to treatment. Love this
2010 RHMF artist grant winners being announced and honored in person right now
Collectors pay attention: they are Michelle Ables, Ethen Breckenridge, a japanese name I can’t pronounce, Nicholas Gambari, Dianna Lawson
This girls just wanna have funds charity auction exhibition will be up @PPOWGallery until 3 Dec
Balance and equity must be maintained, says head of RHMF
Moderator @artinfodotcom writer Sarah Douglas giving some sad stats on female artist auction sales
Highest selling (at auction) living female artist is Marlene Dumas, who donated a painting to this evening
Learing about Louisa Buck’s “process of endorsement” analysis as it relates to female artists
Amy Cappelazzo says the “market is like the weather- it just happens”
Amy says the artist gender inequity has gotten better in her 10 yrs in the auction business
Marilyn Minter being asked what role these prices play in her everyday reality. She says she thinks about it all the time
Marilyn says the inequity makes her “hungry.” Love that
Marilyn Minter recently moved into a much bigger studio and is expanding her practice – she currently makes about 5 paintings a year
“In my case its not a factory (like the male artists), its a cottage industry” says Marilyn Minter
Amy Cappelazzo looks so bored to tears. Then again she’s not known for her bedside manner
“When I took my hand off being the finisher of my paintings they turned off a lot better” says Marilyn LOL
“The new great artist is a dead one” says Marilyn. Meaning the women have no priveledged youth of market success
First time Marilyn thought about this was in reading an article about collector Dakis Joannou.
Artist Xaviera Simmons says her expectation is very American and practical: to make money in her profession
She says its a business as well as a craft, and u have to be educated about “the well oiled machine” of the art market
She says the main issue is “gotta have the self-esteem to engage in the dialogue”
This is making me proud that Blaise + Co works with so many female artists
Mary Ceruti’s trustee asked her if the Sculpture Center had something against showing MEN hahaha
THANK U “@tartnyc: Following @BLAISEartworld who is tweeting the #GJWTHF Wish this discussion happened more often and on a larger scale.”
Amy Cappelazzo says Damien Hirst works in a Warholian model in which the more you make creates indeed more want in the market
because Damien satisfies all levels of the market from prints to 25million gold hearts
Damien’s business is strategically divided into ENTITIES to satisfy all levels of the market says Amy Cappelazzo
Art became an asset class 6 years ago when u could borrow against it at a favorable rate says Amy
Amy says that the Cindy Sherman market is “nice to play” because its many objects in many editions (note to self as collector)
Tonights motto is “what would Cindy Sherman do?”
Amy Cappelazzo says the “chick” artists in the room just need to say “gimme my fuckin’ money”
I wonder if Amy’s argument that inequity comes from females reluctance to demand money actually shifts all “blame” away from the men
If its simply as easy as pretending to have more confidence would we honestly still have this issue in all job markets not just art?
Interesting that this argument is coming from the wealthiest panel member without a nuclear family responsibility. Just sayin
And the most job stability. #jussayin
artist Xaviera Simmons says female artists should be instead focusing on their studio practice
Marilyn Minter says she made a conscious decision to hire 6 of 10 assistants as female. Then says she just looks for character…
Marilyn Minter refused to show with Ace Gallery in CA because of their reputation for not paying their artists
Marilyn Minter and Amy Cappelazzo are going to “name names” and start a “repo business” for unpaid artists
Xaviera Simmons would never put herself in the “box” of her work speaking about “identity” she says
All panelists agree that the only thing you really have is your integrity
Panel asks if we should expect female gallerists to show female artists. What do u all think?
Mary Boone in the ’80s had an all male roster, said at a dinner last week that she’s now most interested in the women artists
Amy Cappelazzo says an MFA is “about buying time to figure out who you are.” Do you agree?
I LOVE Xaviera’s work ethic as self proclaimed
Currency fluctuation and hedging against inflation are the biggest factors effecting Amy’s market as she works in it
THANK YOU to @PPOWGallery @POWArts and @artlog for a fab evening. #GJWTHF