Marking the first-ever all-women artist benefit auction at a major auction house, the initial group of 26 works offered in today’s live auction were led by Carmen Herrera’s Blanco y Verde from 1966-1967, which established a new auction record for the artist when it sold for $2.9 million, besting its $2 million high estimate. The work had been donated to the sale by auction Co-Chair Agnes Gund.

Saara Pritchard, Senior Specialist in Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Department in New York, remarked: “As we enter Women’s History Month, we are thrilled with the results of today’s sale that will benefit financial aid for exceptional young women and allow future leaders to attend Miss Porter’s School. It has been an honor to work on behalf of the school, as well as the auction’s esteemed Co-Chairs Agnes Gund (MPS ’56) and Oprah Winfrey. Today’s offering established a number of auction records for pioneering and inspiring women artists – proof that the market wants to recognize these extraordinary women whose work has been historically undervalued. We could not have asked for a better start, and we look forward to continuing this momentum for the 17 outstanding lots currently on offer in our online-only sale.”

Over the course of several months, 43 pieces by 41 pioneering women artists have been donated to create this distinct offering of modern and contemporary works. Miss Porter’s School will use their full proceeds from the sale to support financial aid for its students.

Sotheby’s sales of By Women, For Tomorrow’s Women are ongoing, with 17 works now open for bidding in our Contemporary Art Online sale through 7 March.

CONTEMPORARY ART ONLINE & THE FORM OF IDEAS
Now Open for Bidding

Sotheby’s auctions of Contemporary Art continue with Contemporary Art Online (22 February – 7 March) and a dedicated online-only sale, The Form of Ideas (22 February – 8 March).

Featuring 230+ lots, this season’s Contemporary Art Online sale is distinguished by the 17 works on offer to benefit Miss Porter’s School, as well as an impressive ensemble of pieces from the collections of celebrated patrons Judith Neisser and David Teiger, among others. The auction also includes works by renowned artists such as Andy Warhol, Alexander Calder, Lee Krasner, Alex Katz, John Wesley, Sam Gilliam, Marlene Dumas, Laura Owens and Richard Hambleton, and offers both new and established collectors with the opportunity to acquire works at accessible price points below $100,000.

Presented alongside Contemporary Art Online, The Form of Ideas is a unique offering of 30 lots from the distinguished collection of Arnold and Marie Fordes – California-based collectors who focused on a range of important and intellectually rigorous artists from the Post-War period onward. Working closely with the curator Paul Schimmel, the Fordes created a bold collection focusing on generations of international artists working in Minimal and Conceptual frameworks, such as Niele Toroni, Fred Sandback, John Miller, Vito Acconci, Tony Cragg and Jenny Holzer, among others.  In addition to the grouping of lots from the collection that is offered in the Contemporary Curated sale on 1 March, this sale offers the opportunity to acquire important works at price points below $50,000.
 

Top 10 Sotheby's First Contemporary Art Auction