Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a White House NCAA Sports Day event, Monday, July 22, 2024, on the South Lawn of the White House. | Official White House Photo by Oliver Contreras
ARTISTS ARE COMING TOGETHER to help Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign for the presidency. Artists for Kamala announced that some of the nation’s most highly regarded and critically acclaimed artists donated their art to support the Harris-Walz ticket and other Democratic efforts in the lead up to the Nov. 5 election.
More than 100 works are for sale with proceeds going to the Harris Victory Fund (HVF), which is “a joint fundraising committee that raises funds for Harris for President, the Democratic National Committee, and Democratic state parties throughout the country.”
An online benefit auction conducted by Artsy features 55 works. The auction opened Sept. 30 and is live through Oct. 8. The diverse slate of participating artists includes Njideka Akunyili Crosby, George Condo, Shepard Fairey, Sheila Hicks, Reggie Burrows Hodges, Jenny Holzer, Rashid Johnson, Jeff Koons, Christine Sun Kim, Betye Saar, Amy Sherald, Hank Willis Thomas, Khari Turner, and Yvonne Wells. At the time of publication, active bids ranged from $2,000 to $150,000.
A Buy Now option includes 45 fixed-price works by Judy Chicago, George Clinton, Leonardo Drew, Eric Fischl, Lyle Ashton Harris, Carmen Herrera, Isaac Julien, Alex Katz, Glenn Ligon, Jason Moran, Wangechi Mutu, Alice Neel, Shinique Smith, Carrie Mae Weems, and Fred Wilson, among others. A selection of 14 works by the likes of Hugh Hayden, Simone Leigh, Howardena Pindell, Deborah Roberts, Ed Ruscha, and others, is available for purchase via gallery inquiry.
“We share Jamaican heritage, love for the diverse fabric that represents the best of this country, and a drive to push forward meaningful change. I’m absolutely delighted to endorse Kamala Harris for President.”
— Simone Leigh
An untitled sculpture by Leigh has already sold. The artist who represented the United States at the 2022 Venice Biennale, becoming the first Black female artist to represent that nation with a solo exhibition in the American pavilion, introduced the Artists for Kamala initiative with a statement endorsing Harris’s historic candidacy. Leigh said:
“I am honored to be part of Artists for Kamala, and to support in this historic campaign. Throughout Kamala Harris’ career as a district attorney, California Attorney General, United States Senator, and Vice President, Kamala has shown a commitment to public service, tackling injustice, and bringing people together to protect our freedoms and expand opportunities for all Americans. Today our country faces many challenges, from threats to reproductive rights to economic inequality. Kamala has the vision, tenacity and compassion needed to face these challenges and concrete plans to improve the lives of all Americans.
“We share Jamaican heritage, love for the diverse fabric that represents the best of this country, and a drive to push forward meaningful change. I’m absolutely delighted to endorse Kamala Harris for President.” CT
SEE THE FULL LIST of works included in the Artists for Kamala sale
UPDATE (10/02/24): More works have been added to the Buy Now and Inquire options of the sale. The article has been revised to reflect these additions
SIMONE LEIGH, Untitled, 2023–24 (porcelain, 23 × 8 3/4 × 9 1/2 inches / 58.4 × 22.2 × 24.1 cm). Courtesy of the artist and Matthew Marks Gallery | SOLD
Lot 1: AMY SHERALD, “As Soft as She Is…,” 2023 (70-color screenprint on Lana Aquarelle 600 gsm, 45 1/4 × 37 inches / 114.9 × 94 cm) Frame included, Edition 13/35 + 10AP. | © Amy Sherald Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth
Lot 2: REGGIE BURROWS HODGES, “Seated Listener Nebuliss,” 2022 (acrylic on canvas, 14 × 11 inches / 35.6 × 27.9 cm). | Courtesy the artist and Karma
Lot 4: RASHID JOHNSON, Untitled Large Bruise, 2022 (silkscreen resist with hand applied pigment 60 × 51 1/2 inches / 152.4 × 130.8 cm), Edition of 51 + 15AP
Lot 26: YVONNE WELLS, Untitled, 2024 (assorted fabrics, 103 × 70 inches / 261.6 × 177.8 cm). | © Yvonne Wells. Courtesy the Artist and Fort Gansevoort, New York
HOWARDENA PINDELL, Untitled #34, 2024 (acrylic on canvas, 21 × 25 × 25 inches / 53.3 × 63.5 × 63.5 cm). | Inquire
BOOKSHELF
“Simone Leigh” is the artist’s first major monograph. The Lavishly illustrated catalog documents Leigh’s first museum survey and features nearly 20 contributors. Forthcoming in November, “Amy Sherald: American Sublime” will be published to accompany the largest-ever exhibition of the artist. The fully illustrated volume is the first comprehensive monograph of the artist. “The Story Quilts of Yvonne Wells” is a definitive guide to the artist’s work over four decades. Before she launched her 2020 presidential campaign, Kamala Harris published a memoir, “The Truths We Hold: An American Journey.” She also wrote “Superheroes Are Everywhere,” a children’s book with illustrations by Mechal Renee RoeHer. Harris’s historic rise has also engendered children’s books by her niece Meena Harris (“Ambitious Girl”), and authors Nikki Grimes and Laura Freeman (“Kamala Harris: Rooted in Justice”). In 2019, Lawrence Jackson published “Yes We Did: Photos and Behind-the-Scenes Stories Celebrating Our First African American President,” a volume dedicated to images of President Barack Obama.
