For the past decade or so, my family has supported the annual Free Arts NYC Art Auction Benefit.  It’s a great event and benefits a wonderful organization.  This year was the 17th such fundraiser, honoring legendary artist Richard Phillips, and featured works donated by such art world luminaries as Phillips, Kenny Scharf, Todd DiCiurcio, , Mick Rock, KAWS, Jean Pigozzi, Ed Ruscha, Hunt Slonem, Kiki Smith, Nigel Barker, Hugo Guinness, Timothy White, Terry Richardson, Lola Schnabel, Stephen Mao, and – oh yeah – me!

This year, perennial co-chairs Amanda Ross, Amy Sacco, and Mary Alice Stephenson, were joined by Genevieve Jones, Hilary Rhoda, Kelly Rutherford, and Chrissy Teigen, for what was not only a varsity-level roster of glamazonian socialistas; but upon second glance would also make for a kick-ass volleyball team.

Paddle8 co-Founder, Alexander Gilkes, ran the auction for the second year in a row, and raised the bar on how such things should be done – with a soupcon of wit, a spin of the gavel, some customized humor, and a hair-flip that would render Hugh Grant obsolete.  Gilkes is so charming, in fact, that if he weren’t an auctioneer he’d have to be a politician.  That said I don’t know what his positions would be (though, with any luck, he’d start with Missionary, flip to Reverse Cowgirl, and end-up in some Continental version of Abominable Snowman…).

A very fashionable crowd always attends, and this year was no different.  Designers Stan Chopin and Kalinka (in a yummy navy jacquard cocktail dress from her current collection, available at Bergdorf Goodman); Maggie Norris (in a gorgeous motorcycle jacket she’d constructed from vintage leather jackets from the ‘30s and a pair of red shantung pants) with filmmaker Andrew Le Pera; Johan Lindberg with daughter Blue; Bonnie Young (in a fabulous beaded caftan), and jeweler Ken Borochov (whose luxury brand Mordekai, was featured at this year’s Punk-themed Met Ball, and is a fave among the likes of Lady Gaga, Patricia Field, Pink, and Nicki Minaj).

Also making the scene were Tiossan founder Magatte Wade, with my dear friends Delilah Rothenberg, Spencer Wang, and Cristo Brown; RaSa Living mater Donna D’Cruz; stylishly jump-suited Jenna Fagnan (president of Tequila Avión – the official spirit of ShulmanSays) with hunky French hubby Thomas Jacquot; and Tommy Hilfiger entertainment guru Megan DiCiurcio.  There was even a concert by Oh Land!

The folks at Free Arts even gave me some 40th birthday love, with the bar pouring the evening’s specialty cocktail, the “Sparkling Shulman” (a champagne cocktail with lemon juice and pear vodka from a recipe by Martha Stewart), and a pre-auction shout-out, from the stage, by Alexander.

By night’s end, more than a half-million dollars had been raised, that will go to fund such wonderful anagrammed programs as PACT (Parents and Children Together with Art), WMP (Weekly Mentoring Programs), and FAD (Free Arts Days).  A truly great evening for the families of a truly great city!

Free Arts NYC
17th Annual Art Auction Benefit
Click HERE for info

Get into it!