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NIGHT GALLERY
A BENEFIT FOR PLANNED PARENTHOOD
SEPTEMBER 20, 2014
THE ACE THEATRE, DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES
Event Chairs:
Mieke Marple and Davida Nemeroff
2014 Planning Committee:
Gavin Brown, Stephanie Bulger, Jamie Cherry, Mary Leigh Cherry, Anne
Ellegood, Jen Flaks, Tim Fleming, Honor Fraser, Laura Fried, Cesar
Garcia, Ann Goldstein, Emma Gray, Heather Harmon, Hannah Hoffman,
Deborah Irmas, Sarvia Jasso, Maggie Kayne, David Kordansky, Sarah
Lehrer-Graiwer, Karyn Lovegrove, Rachel LaBine, Lauren Mackler, Jane
McCarthy, Lisa Overduin, Eliah Perona, Shaun Caley Regen, Paula
Rudnick, Sonny Ruscha Granade, Amber Sakai, Robyn Siegel, Jennifer
Simchowitz, Sutton Stracke, Ali Subotnick, Jessica Trent, Kate Wolf,
Maritza Yoes, Laurie Ziegler
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NIGHT GALLERY
What is Sexy Beast?
A gala evening of art auction, revelry and performance, held September
20, 2014 at the ACE Theater downtown LA, with all proceeds to benefit
the clinics of Planned Parenthood Los Angeles. Sexy Beast celebrates the
art world's power to effect positive change, touch peoples' lives, and
create value far beyond commercial gain. It also celebrates the different
ways we express our humanity. What is sexy is as broad-ranging as what
is art--and like art, takes an infinite number of forms--affirming,
provoking, appreciating and reflecting the world around us. Sexy isn't
defined by conventional beauty but by an esprit, a way of feeling and
showing up in the world. We are all sexy beasts ... especially when we use
our powers for good.
We are all sexy beasts and we should all be able to take care of ourselves
in a safe, caring, and affordable environment. Planned Parenthood
provides access to reproductive healthcare and education to all who need
their services. Like the arts at their best, Planned Parenthood imparts
knowledge and empowerment without regard for income or affiliation.
2014 Auction Artworks by:
Lisa Anne Auerbach, Judith Bernstein, Math Bass, Sebastian Black,
Andrea Bowers, Matthew Brandt, John Connor, Matt Connors, Mira Dancy,
Sam Durant, Sam Falls, Ryan Foerster, Jen Guidi, Karl Haendel, Ryan
Heffington, Alex Hubbard, Jamian Juliano-Villani, Sean Kennedy, Barbara
Kruger, Mimi Lauter, Calvin Marcus, Dianna Molzan, Sam Moyer, Alex
Olson, Laura Owens, Jon Pestoni, Kour Pour, Joe Reihsen, Ed Ruscha,
Kaari Upson, Mary Weatherford, Pae White, Christopher Williams, and
Jonas Wood.
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NIGHT GALLERY
Maxwell Williams, “Jack Black, Diane Keaton, Marisa Tomei and a Host of Artists Turn Out in L.A. to
Support Reproductive Rights,” T Magazine, September 22, 2014.
Jack Black, Diane Keaton, Marisa Tomei and a Host of
Artists Turn Out in L.A. to Support Reproductive Rights
CULTURE
BY MAXWELL WILLIAMS
SEPTEMBER 22, 2014 6:45 PM
seen getting costumed dancers ready. Jack Black
hosted.
What
A pair of jaw-dropping Heffington dance
performances bookended the night. Sue Dunlap, the
President and C.E.O. of PPLA, presented the actress
and comedian Jenny Slate with the first annual Sexy
Beast Award (the physical award was designed by the
emerging L.A. artist Samara Golden) for her starring
role in “Obvious Child,” the sleeper indie comedy that
tells the story of a young comedian as she prepares
for an abortion. Eliza Osborne, the executive director
of the Centre Pompidou, called a live auction that saw
Jeffrey and Catharine Soros outbid Keaton for a
private Heffington performance and James L. Brooks,
the producer of “The Simpsons,” win a bidding war
for a six-foot-tall Barbara Kruger diptych for
$150,000.
Jack Black hosted “Sexy Beast,” an arts event in Los Angeles to
benefit Planned Parenthood. Jennifer Hueston
Who
A potpourri of artists, collectors, celebrities and
executives of Planned Parenthood Los
Angeles (PPLA), the beneficiary of live and silent
auctions organized by the gallerists Davida Nemeroff
and Mieke Marple of L.A.’s critically beloved Night
Gallery. Diane Keaton mingled with the artist Mary
Weatherford and the curator Paul Schimmel, of
Hauser, Wirth & Schimmel. Marisa Tomei posed for
photographs while the galleristsDavid Kordansky and
Sarah Gavlak mixed with noteworthy artists like
Nicole Miller, Alexandra Grant, Sam Falls, Sayre
Gomez, Lisa Anne Auerbach, Jonas Wood, Kaari
Upson, Piero Golia, Kour Pour, Sam Durant, Rosson
Crow, Casey Jane Ellison and Math Bass. The awardwinning choreographer Ryan Heffington could be
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Where
The Theatre at Ace Hotel in downtown Los Angeles,
an ornate and palatial venue originally designed by C.
Howard Crane in 1927 before the Ace restored it
earlier this year.
When
Held before the opening of Planned Parenthood’s
20th Los Angeles location, the auction also kicked off
the season of L.A. charity art benefits and museum
galas.
Why
At a time when Planned Parenthood is under siege
from the right, Nemeroff explained that there were no
main corporate sponsors willing underwrite the
event, which is why Night Gallery stepped in. Of the
name “Sexy Beast,” Marple explained, “Davida and I
wanted a name that was sexy, powerful, not genderspecific and brought attention to the body. We want
to be philanthropic, but not stuffy.” The duo plans to
host the event annually.
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NIGHT GALLERY
Jessie Askinazi, “SEXY BEAST: An Inside Look At The Planned Parenthood Benefit,” BUST online, September 29,
2014.
SEXY BEAST: An Inside Look At The Planned Parenthood Benefit
BY: BUST MAGAZINE IN ARTSY ON SEP 29, 2014
Actress/Comedian Jenny Slate was presented with the first
annual Sexy Beast Award (designed by L.A. artist Samara
Golden) for her role in the buzzworthy indie film “Obvious
Child”; she endeared the room with her genuine smile,
confessing to the fashionable audience of celebrities,
collectors and artists how she wished to free herself from
her tight dress and put on pajamas. Both gracious and
humble, Jenny lifted spirits by articulating the importance of
taking advantage of our limited time here through being
proactive.
Jack Black emerged once again, this time to announce the
live auction. “We could kiss butts and parade celebrities out
here all night long. But itʼs time to lay it on the line. Weʼre
gonna take things up a thousand notches. Open your
wallets, fellow millionaires,” he declared.
On Saturday, Sept. 20, The Theater at The Ace Hotel in
downtown Los Angeles held an art gala with proceeds
benefiting Planned Parenthood. Radiating a poetic
elegance from every angle, the venue reiterated the
contextual nature of the beast, the SEXY BEAST, that is;
an antiquity built with a solid foundation—restored in the
name of modern progression. Oh, the metaphors!
SEXY BEAST was organized by Davida Nemeroff and
Mieke Marple of the esteemed Night Gallery. Event
Producer/General Manager Eliah Perona explained, "It was
meaningful for me to break out of the corporate mold and
put my time and resources toward giving back to the L.A.
community and hopefully have a ripple effect on
reproductive rights for women in less fortunate states."
Jessica Trent was both co-producer and PR director, and
"each of the producers wore multiple hats that often
overlapped and dovetailed and it was a major team effort,"
according to Perona.
Jack Black warmed up the crowd up with his manic shtick,
expressing his love for the “healthy boobies” walking
around Hollywood (a result of Planned Parenthoodʼs
widespread services, of course).
President and C.E.O. of PPLA, Sue Dunlap, spoke of the
attack against the organization from the far right; she also
shared a difficult experience that happened just last week,
when a thirteen year-old came in for what was scheduled
as a “routine check-up.” Sue later learned that she was
actually there for a post-rape exam, emphasizing the
commonality of these troubling stories.
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Eliza Osborne, executive director of the Centre Pompidou,
lead the auction with a wolf-like determination and debonair
social grace. The always chic Diane Keaton was outbid on
a personal dance performance by Choreographer Ryan
Heffington, and James L. Brooks, producer of The
Simpsons, won the Barbara Kruger work “Untitled
(Go/Stay)”; the piece features a couple on two separate
panels about to participate in an embrace, with a bold,
minimalist font reading “Go” and Stay” marking their faces;
the contradiction addresses a play on sociological power
variables, as well as gender stereotypes within a
conventional
structure,
while
concerning
intimate
relationships. A grand total of $568,000 was raised from the
auction.
The yearʼs hottest choreographer, Heffington (of Siaʼs
“Chandelier” music video), contributed two performances
with his collaborative movement project KTCHN. Itʼs safe to
say that Heffingtonʼs dedication to the dance medium is a
celebration of the body in it of itself, which highlights the
mission of PP accordingly. KTCHNʼs visuals are inspired by
the color palettes of artist Nolan Hendrickso, with set
design by Adrian Gilliland and costumes by Mindy LeBrock.
Hued in blue, green, pink and red lights, the dancers
moved in circles, demonstrating violence, loneliness and
support in true Heffington style—mystical, yet accessible in
execution, and theatrically primitive.
To donate to Planned Parenthood, follow the link. Every bit
counts.
—Jessie Askinazi
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NIGHT GALLERY
Natalia Bonifacci, “Natalia Meets Sexy Beast,” RedMilk, September 28, 2014.
extremely pleased and honored to be the beneficiary of the
very first Sexy Beast event. Sexy Beast’s founders and cochairs are Mieke Marple and Davida Nemeroff, owners of
Night Gallery. Their vision for Sexy Beast is to create a
new outlet for the energy and passions of the artist and
philanthropy community. Mieke and Davida wanted to
make a statement, create something new, outside the
sometimes limiting parameters of the commercial world.
And so, SEXY BEAST was imagined, as a fundraising
event and a celebration of artistic AND human expression
of all varieties, in all walks of life”.
ON SATURDAY, ACE HOTEL IN DOWNTOWN L.A.
WELCOMED ARTISTS, CELEBRITIES AND
COLLECTORS TO SUPPORT REPRODUCTIVE
RIGHTS UNDER THE INTRIGUING NAME OF SEXY
BEAST, "A GALA EVENING OF ART AUCTION AND
PERFORMANCE, WITH ALL PROCEEDS TO
BENEFIT PLANNED PARENTHOOD LOS ANGELES
Sexy Beast celebrates the art world’s power to effect
positive change, touch people’s lives, and create value far
beyond commercial gain. It also celebrates the different
ways we express humanity”.
The evening opened with choreographies by awardwinning dance guru Ryan Heffington, with costumes by
Mindy LeBrock and an impressive set design by Adrian
Gilliland in collaboration with artist Nolan Hendrickson.
Our MC, Jack Black, awarded comedienne and actress
Jenny Slate with the first Sexy Beast Award for her
performance in the movie Obvious Child. Holding her
award designed by L.A. artist Samara Golden, Slate
quipped, “let me bring Jack Black back on the stage. ‘Sup
dog. You were telling me earlier tonight you were a
regular in PPLA back in the day”, to which he replied “I
used to get my rubbers there.” Fist bump.
Sue Dunlap, President and C.E.O. of Planned Parenthood
Los Angeles, best summarized Sexy Beast with, “we’re
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Throughout the evening, that was co-produced by Eliah
Perona, Jamie Cherry and Jessica Trent, the words “sexy”,
“art” and “important” were used with abandon. Although I
thought I had a clear idea of the meaning of “important”, I
found myself googling it while waiting for my car at valet.
im·por·tant (ibreve.gifm-pôrprime.giftnt)
adj.
1. Strongly affecting the course of events or the nature
of things; significant:
With so many causes in the world to chose from, I’ve often
wondered what are the motives behind someone
supporting one cause over another. The answer to that
question tends to simply explain the purpose of the cause
and it’s usually a window into a person’s belief system. I
was curious to know what made Sexy Beast significant to
some of the names behind the evening.
For RedMilk, I asked one question:
Why is it important to you to support Sexy Beast?
Some, answered:
Eliza Osborne,
Director of the Centre Pompidou Foundation, former
Sotheby’s executive, and Sexy Beast sexy auctioneer:
“It’s critical to give people the tools and opportunities they
need to make their own best decisions and to allow them to
protect themselves and those they love.”
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NIGHT GALLERY
Jon Pestoni, Kour Pour, Joe Reihsen, Ed Ruscha, Kaari
Upson, Mary Weatherford, Pae White, Christopher
Williams, and Jonas Wood.
Liz Goldwyn,
Artist, Writer, Filmmaker:
“My first job at age 13 was in fact, working for Planned
Parenthood. First, in Los Angeles at the Santa Monica
clinic educating teenagers my own age about sexually
transmitted diseases and sex education; and later, when I
moved to New York to attend art school I worked under
Alexander Sanger (Margaret’s grandson) on fundraising,
outreach and helping to establish a video library. Sex
education and supporting a woman’s right to reproductive
health care are perhaps the causes I feel most strongly
about. I was so glad to support Sexy Beast and see Planned
Parenthood reach a new generation of women and men
who feel strongly about these issues too. As the mid-term
elections approach, it is more important than ever to raise
our voices on behalf of this incredible organization.”
For more info please visit:
http://sexybeastforplannedparenthood.com
Jack Black,
Actor, Musician, Comedian, Producer, Writer:
“Sexy Beast is no mere fundraiser. No. It is quite possible
the greatest fundraiser in the history of the planet. We’re
using the talents and generosity of the sexy, sexy arts
community to feed THE BEAST – Planned Parenthood
LA. Yeah. It’s a beast. Nineteen health centers, answering
two thousand phone calls a day from people needing
reproductive health services. They see one-hundred fortythousand men, women and teens who need health services
and sexual health information.”
Ryan Heffington,
Performer, Choreographer, Designer, Promoter and
Dance Guru:
“I was honored when the ladies of Night Gallery reached
out about participating in Sexy Beast. It’s a pleasure for
me to be able to use my art to assist a institution that
supports the right for a woman to choose a better life for
herself, for teens to have assistance in being sexually
responsible and simply supporting people – no matter
what. It simply comes down to allowing people to have
choices without condemning anyone in the process. As we
know – life can be challenging at any stage and to be able
to assist others through any means is a goal.”
Sexy Beast sold over $568,000 during the art auctions,
including silent, live, and online.
Live and silent auction features work by:
Lisa Anne Auerbach, Judith Bernstein, Math Bass,
Sebastian Black, Andrea Bowers, Matthew Brandt, John
Connor, Matt Connors, Mira Dancy, Sam Durant, Sam
Falls, Ryan Foerster, Jen Guidi, Karl Haendel, Ryan
Heffington, Alex Hubbard, Jamian Juliano-Villani, Sean
Kennedy, Barbara Kruger, Mimi Lauter, Calvin Marcus,
Dianna Molzan, Sam Moyer, Alex Olson, Laura Owens,
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NIGHT GALLERY
purple DIARY online, September 25, 2014.
purple DIARY ‒ SEXY BEAST: A BENEFIT FOR PLANNED PARENTHOOD
HOSTED BY JACK BLACK at Ace Hotel Downtown, Los Angeles
Davida Nemeroff and Mieke Marple of Night Gallery
Performance choreographed by Ryan Heffington
Barbara Kruger and Pae White
Jenny Slate and Mieke Marple
Photos by Jessie Azkinazi
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