In the Name of Love

NEW YORK—Glitzy events in New York during the past two weeks had stars from both the art and Hollywood scenes stepping out to party in the name of charity.

The Art Dealers Association of America kicked off its annual fair, The Art Show, on February 20 with a gala preview that benefited the social services and arts organization Henry Street Settlement. The artist duo Christo and Jeanne-Claude was easy to spot in the crowd. Yoko Ono also made an appearance, as did real estate mogul and mega-collector Aby Rosen, who hammed it up with gallerist Barbara Gladstone.

Celebrities were also feeling the love at another charity event, the (Red) Auction at Sotheby’s on February 14. The event, organized by Bono, Damien Hirst, and Gagosian Gallery, raised $42.5 million for AIDS relief in Africa, and A-listers such as John McEnroe, Takashi Murakami, Martha Stewart, Dennis Hopper, Michael Stipe, Helena Christensen, and Christy Turlington showed up to see the action. There were also whispers that the elusive graffiti artist Banksy had slipped into the salesroom. His Keep It Spotless was one of the sale's hot lots, bringing in $1.8 million, but the artist also apparently gave New York some paintings for free—according to Gothamist, new works attributed to the artist cropped up on the sides of buildings across the city during Valentine’s week.