2018 Aperture Gala to Honor Artists and Leaders Expanding Our Vision of Family

Honorees include Agnes Gund, Catherine Gund, Catherine Opie, Hank Willis Thomas, and Dr. Deborah Willis

Tuesday, October 30, 2018
547 West 26th Street, New York

Gala Cochairs
Sir Elton John, Judy and Leonard Lauder, Nion McEvoy, Jessica Nagle 

Sponsors

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Aperture’s theme this fall season is photography and the family. The Aperture Gala on October 30 will celebrate five leaders and artists for their contributions to art and photography and to the power of family: the human family, the families who support us (including the families we choose), and the Aperture family of photography.

Left: Agnes Gund © Annie Leibovitz; Right: Catherine Gund. Photograph by Yanett Ramirez for the Aperture Gala

Aperture honors the Gund women for their tireless contributions toward supporting communities through art. Agnes Gund is an arts philanthropist whose advocacy for arts education and social justice has made a difference in the lives of countless families and communities. Her daughter Catherine Gund extends her activism and philanthropic mission through her work as a producer, writer, and documentary filmmaker.

Catherine Opie, Miggi & Ilene, Los Angeles, California, 1995.
© the artist and courtesy Regen Projects, Los Angeles, and Lehmann Maupin, New York and Hong Kong

Catherine Opie is an acclaimed photographer and professor of photography at the University of California, Los Angeles, whom Aperture honors for trailblazing work that has paid tribute to her own community and helped create an enduring visual record of LGBTQ families.

Hank Willis Thomas in collaboration with Sanford Biggers, Crossroads, 2012, from the series The Wayfarer; from Hank Willis Thomas: All Things Being Equal (Aperture/Portland Art Museum, 2018). Image courtesy the artist

Dr. Deborah Willis is a visionary scholar, curator, and artist who has expanded our understanding of photography history and representations of African American family life. Dr. Willis is currently professor and chair of the Department of Photography and Imaging at New York University. Willis’s son, Hank Willis Thomas, has established a prolific career creating urgent multimedia work exploring the intersections of race, identity, and image-making. Aperture honors the two for their paramount additions to cultural history.

The night will feature a cocktail party with music by Coco & Breezy, a special tribute by Carrie Mae Weems, and performances by Kathy Sledge with The House of Xtravaganza, including select members featured on the FX series Pose. Other elements include an interactive photo set, cocktails, dinner, and a live auction including work by Gail Albert Halaban, Todd Hido, and Peter Hujar.

All proceeds from the Gala benefit Aperture’s general operating fund, including award-winning publications, education programs, and touring exhibitions.