Contemporary Art Magazine BOMB Celebrates 32nd Anniversary

BOMB Magazine, one of the most respected voices in contemporary art and literature, celebrated its 32nd anniversary with a gala benefit dinner and auction of contemporary artworks last week at Capitale in New York City.

On Friday, the Honorary Chairs, including Jon Robin Baitz, Melva Bucksbaum and Raymond Learsy, gathered for the gala alongside young Patron Chair Joe Sheftel. This year the benefit honored Trisha Brown, Beth Rudin DeWoody, Kyle DeWoody and Raymond Pettibon. Each honoree was given a Pink BOMB by Tom Otterness, which was presented after a rousing toast to each honoree by Trustee Chairmen Klaus Kertess, Adam Weinberg and Lawrence Weiner.

Betsy Sussler said of the honor; “This year BOMB is focusing on legacy and its impact on the future. BOMB delivers the artist’s voice-in BOMB and on BOMBsite with its emerging artists and writers’ BOMBlog and its DIGITAL ARCHIVE, an ongoing and vibrant record of New York City’s cultural history, from 1981 into the future. This is reflected in our choice of honorees: Beth DeWoody’s vision in both curating and philanthropy as passed on to Kyle DeWoody, in the Trisha Brown Dance Company’s perpetuation of her legacy, to Raymond Pettibon’s iconoclastic reach into Americana for his subject matter.”

Guests at the gala included Joshua Abelow, Richard Armstrong, Edgar Arceneaux, Carolyn Alexander, Betsy Baker, Erica Baum, Louise Belcourt, Katie Bell, Ellen Berkenblit Kim Bendheim, Rosemary Carroll,Mary Carlson, Joanne Leonhardt Cassullo, Helaine and Paul Cantor, Carlton DeWoody and Sarah Connolly, Jennifer Clifford and Bill Danner, Beth Rudin DeWoody, Christopher Deeton, JK Brown and Eric Diefenbach, Jane Dickson, Michele Oka Doner and Frederick Doner, Cary Brown-Epstein and Steven Epstein, Giuliana Bruno and Andrew Fierberg, Tony Feher, Anne Gilman, EJ Hauser, Mary Heilmann, Rachel Lee Hovnanian and Catherine Howe, among others.

For the first time the benefit held a live auction (in addition to the traditional silent auction), run by Sotheby’s auctioneer Gabriela Palmieri. Finally, specially-made BOMB Charms created by Michele Oka Doner & Tom Otterness were available for purchased at the event. With art sales bringing in $200,000 alone, the gala raised a total of $550,000.

Photo credit: Dustin Harris/Patrick McMullan Company