NEW YORK, NY.- Miss Porters School, the nations leading, all-girls private high school, has announced plans for a fundraising initiative, gathering modern and contemporary artworks by more than 25 pioneering female artists to be sold together as the centerpiece of
Sothebys Contemporary Curated auction on 1 March, 2019. The offering will represent the first-ever all-women benefit auction at a major auction house.
Following the pre-sale exhibition opening in Sothebys New York galleries on 22 February, 2019, the works will be auctioned to support financial aid that enables emerging female leaders to attend Miss Porters School and go on to shape a changing world. Details on individual works and a full list of artists will be released in early 2019.
Agnes Gund 56 and Oprah Winfrey, longtime supporters of Miss Porters School, will serve as Honorary Co-Chairs. A Miss Porters alumna, Agnes Gund 56 is one of the most important patrons of the arts in America and exemplary in her support of women artists. Winfrey is a strong believer in the power of a single-sex education for girls and is the founder of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG) in South Africa. The OWLAG Board is chaired by Miss Porters Head of School Dr. Katherine Windsor.
Chair Jill Spalding 56, Artist Vice-Chair Jenny Holzer, and Vice-Chair Adam Sheffer of Pace Gallery will lead the auction initiative. Chrishaunda Lee Perez 94, Miss Porters Trustee Dr. Sunnie Evers 71, and Miss Porters Art History Instructor Dr. Anna Swinbourne will serve as Event Co-Chairs as part of the ongoing celebration commemorating the school's 175th anniversary in 2018.
Works by more than 25 artists are being donated to the auction, including a major abstract painting by Carmen Herrera, Blanco y Verde of 1966-67 the most important work by the artist ever to appear at auction. From her breakthrough series of the same name, the painting was recently exhibited in a retrospective of her work, Carmen Herrera: Lines of Sight at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York.
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, including Ghada Amer, Alice Aycock, Cecily Brown, Mariana Cook, Jay DeFeo, Liz Glynn, Katharina Grosse, Jane Hammond, Carmen Herrera, 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.
Head of School Dr. Katherine Windsor explains Miss Porters School and our alumnae have long championed the important, and often overlooked, contributions of women artists. Miss Porters School continues its leadership in this area through this groundbreaking auction of works exclusively created by female artists. We are thrilled to partner with Sothebys, as well as Agnes Gund and Oprah Winfrey, who join us in the belief that single-sex education for girls creates future leaders, who understand the challenges of today and who will be the problem solvers of tomorrow.
Saara Pritchard, Senior Specialist in Sothebys Contemporary Art Department in New York commented It is a privilege to help bring to life the vision of Miss Porters School, Ms. Gund and Ms. Winfrey for an all-women artist auction this spring. Both Ms. Gund and Ms. Winfrey have demonstrated a fierce dedication to the advancement of womens 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.
Founded in 1843, Miss Porters School is an all-girls private college preparatory school in Farmington, Connecticut. By merging tradition with innovation and creating new generations of bold, informed leaders, Miss Porter's School is positioned to be the school of consequence for girls and women at a time when the voices of our girls need to be amplified. Each year, the school educates more than 300 boarding and day students, and provides more than $4M in need-based financial aid support.
Miss Porters achieves the highest standard of education for female students and builds strong relationships between students, faculty and alumnae, thus creating new generations of educated and connected women. To further emphasize the schools commitment to the arts and focus on experiential learning, advanced students in Miss Porters art history program will collaborate directly with Sothebys and assist in preparing the auction catalogue.
Miss Porters School's year of anniversary celebrations commemorates a 175-year history of achievements for womens education and honors the legacy of the schools graduates. By using the auction proceeds to raise funds for financial aid, Miss Porters School has once again cast an eye to the future, advancing opportunities for girls around the world.