So many incredible exhibitions and performances to enjoy this weekend….Be sure to pop in the Catherine Kone Gallery on your way to the Pick of the Week to enjoy the exhibit, Jack Brogan: Part 3 “Summer of Jack.”

Pick of the Week is the Los Angeles Art Association’s  Annual Benefit Auction.  Remember you still have a chance to win tickets….find the code phrase somewhere on this site….Its in RED!!!  Then email laartparty@gmail.com the code and you will be automatically entered into the raffle. The winners will be notified on Friday….You have till 2:00 pm.

See art (from left to right) by Elizabeth Tobias, Laura Larson and Speedy.

WU LAAAGem Shrimp Coq TailIf you would like more information about their event….check out their last event on the Event Review Page. It was a blast!  See crowd shot from a past LAAA GEM event. The Gala event will feature more than 100 works by emerging and mid-career artists, as well as celebrated luminaries. Hundreds of LA’s most influential movers and shakers will attend the exclusive champagne VIP preview. The event features food by NOBU, and the first 100 VIP ticket purchases receive a signed print by celebrated artist Frank Worth.

Shulamit Nazarian and Bruce Adlhoch serve as the 2012 Honorary Benefit Co-Chairs for this important event. The live auction begins promptly at 7:15 pm; the silent auction closes at 8:30 pm.

LAAA Executive Director Peter Mays states: “We are considered by Los Angeles’ leading art galleries to be a major feeder to the gallery scene, so our auction is a great place to discover emerging talents while they are still very affordable to a broad base of collectors.

The Annual Benefit Auction also serves as a singularly important survey exhibition and auction opportunity featuring one of the most compelling pools of emerging talent in the world.” All proceeds benefit LAAA and Los Angeles’ emerging artist community.

WU LAAA frank worth

See image, Frank Worth Liz Taylor
20″x24″ Original Photograph
Retail price: $2,300  Reserve price only: $900  Buy it now: $2,760

Many of the artists contributing work to the auction are either current or former artists of LAAA, and view the fundraiser as an opportunity to give back to an organization that has played a critical role in their own professional growth.

Artist and recent Durfee awardee Elizabeth Tobias, whose celebrated Let Them Eat Cupcakes public performance and art was a highlight of LAAA’s 2010 programming, considers the organization to be instrumental in her success. Tobias proudly asserts, “The LA Art Association is the ultimate incubator for emerging artists. We are supported and nurtured on every level, creatively and professionally. Sometimes I feel like making before and after pictures of myself as an artist transformed… Whether for a local event or an international fair, I am encouraged to create my very best work every time I participate in an exhibit.” Tobias’ Let Them Eat Cupcakes was presented at Harvard’s Carpenter Center in November 2011 and Utah Museum of Contemporary Art in April 2012.

See im7.28 LAAA shepard faireyage left, Shepard Fairey, Mandala Ornament 2 (Cream)
18″x24″  Silk screen on Wood (serigraph) Artist Proof (Original Ed of 2)  Retail price: $2,700  Reserve price only: $1,400 Buy it now: $3,240

WHAT: LAAA’s Annual Benefit Auction, a fundraising event benefiting the Los Angeles Art Association
WHEN: Saturday, July 28, 2012; 7-9pm, VIP Preview 6-7pm. Live auction begins at 7:15.
TICKETS: VIP PREVIEW – 6 to 7pm $100 ($120 at door). Includes champagne, food by Nobu and treats by Choc. The first 100 VIP ticket purchases receive a signed print by celebrated artist Frank Worth.
GENERAL ADMISSION- 7 to 9 pm $25. Includes desserts and hosted bars.
WHERE: Gallery 825, 825 N. La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90069
Website: https://www.laaa.org/