Nearly 700 of the who’s who of Palm Beach arrived in all-black and white-clad gala style for this most prestigious event. The event held on Saturday, February 1st at the Norton Museum was designed and curated by renowned event producer David Monn. Oliver Barker, Sotheby’s Principal Auctioneer and Chairman, of Sotheby’s Europe hosted the Gala auction. The affair honored artist Rashid Johnson and raised over $5 million.
This fundraising benefit is paramount in South Florida, with its globally known cultural figures, and its most generous benefactors. The Norton contributes a degree of art in South Florida that is on par with those in New York City. The Sotheby’s hosted event, featured works of art by Awol Erizku, Christiane Feser, Rashid Johnson, Sol LeWitt, Joel Mesler, Zanele Muholi, Claes Oldenburg, Anastasia Samoylova, Dustin Yellin, and more. Funds raised support The Norton’s Curatorial Learning and Community Engagement programs. The occasion marked the first time an artist had been honored at the Museum’s annual event.
“We are deeply grateful for the supporters of the Norton Museum of Art, who not only contributed to the great success of the Gala but also supported the Museum throughout the year,” said Ghislain d’Humières, Kenneth C. Griffin Director and CEO. “The continued generosity of the participating artists and galleries help ensure the Norton can offer incredible programming to our community and beyond.”
Lite bites, cocktails, and a generous seafood buffet greeted guests along with brilliant splashes of art. About 25 guests did not adhere to the dress code, ironically making their attire adhere to the colors in the art. Spaghetti al Limone with tableside caviar in an edible spoon followed by Burgundy-braised short ribs with a parsnip puree, were served along with Parisian glazed carrots, a bundle of haricots verts, and Brussels sprouts. A dessert of Baked Alaska with brandied cherry sauce closed out the meal. The delectable bites with an immersive art experience that enveloped the guests with Norton imagery created an extraordinary multisensory experience.
The 2025 Gala Co-Chairs were Audrey Gruss, Amy Phelan, and Sue Wrigley. The 2025 Gala Vice Chairs included Lori Gendelman, Lorna James, Josephine Kalisman, Nicola Marcus, George Frederick Mead Merck, Beth Rudin DeWoody, Lisa Tananbaum, and Silvia Zoullas.
The 2025 Gala Auction was made possible by the generosity of Sotheby’s.
Additional support was provided by Gander & White, one of the world’s leading fine art logistics companies, and Valentine Designs. Five lots totaling 44 pieces were auctioned live by Barker at the Museum’s sold-out Gala. This year’s roster of international galleries included Hauser & Wirth, Gagosian, GAVLAK, Marian Goodman Gallery, Lehmann Maupin, Lévy Gorvy Dayan, Pace Gallery, Tina Kim Gallery, and many more. Pre-eminent artists such as honoree Rashid Johnson, as well as artists Jose Alvarez (D.O.P.A.), Joana Choumali, Christiane Feser, Todd Gray, Katharina Grosse, Sol LeWitt, Joel Mesler, Zanele Muholi, Claes Oldenburg, Anastasia Samoylova, Dustin Yellin, and more were included. The auction raised nearly $1.4 million globally with the lots provided.
Notable gala attendees included artist and honoree Rashid Johnson; collector and curator Beth Rudin DeWoody; fashion industry executive and designer Aerin Lauder; collector Jane Holzer; model and designer Lauren Layne Merck; collectors Steven and Lisa Tananbaum; West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James; and artist Laddie John Dill (whose work Eastern Standard Time (EST), was recently acquired by the Norton and will go on view May 10), among others.
After the auction, guests were treated to an after-party with dancing, music and additional desserts. Professional photography: Capehart Photography
ABOUT RASHID JOHNSON
Born in Chicago in 1977, Rashid Johnson is among an influential cadre of contemporary American artists whose work employs a wide range of media to explore themes of art history, individual and shared cultural identities, personal narratives, literature, philosophy, materiality, and critical history. Johnson received a BA in Photography from Columbia College in Chicago and studied for his master’s at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Johnson’s practice quickly expanded to embrace a wide range of media — including sculpture, painting, drawing, filmmaking, and installation — yielding a complex multidisciplinary practice that incorporates diverse materials rich with symbolism and personal history. Johnson’s work is known for its narrative embedding of a pointed range of everyday materials and objects, often associated with his childhood and frequently referencing aspects of history and cultural identity. Many of Johnson’s more recent works delve into existential themes such as personal and collective anxiety, interiority, and liminal space.
Recent solo exhibitions include: Rashid Johnson. Anima, Hauser & Wirth, Paris, 2024; Seven Rooms and a Garden. Rashid Johnson + Moderna Museet, Moderna Museet, Stockholm, 2023; Rashid Johnson. Nudiustertian, Hauser & Wirth, Hong Kong, 2023; The Chorus, The Metropolitan Opera, New York, 2021; Summer Projects. Rashid Johnson, Creative Time, New York, 2021; Rashid Johnson. Capsule, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Canada, 2021; The Crisis, Storm King Art Center, New Windsor, New York; Rashid Johnson. Waves, Hauser & Wirth, London, 2020; the touring exhibition Rashid Johnson. The Hikers at the Aspen Art Museum, Aspen, Colorado, the Museo Tamayo, Mexico City, and at Hauser & Wirth, New York, 2019; Provocations. Rashid Johnson, Institute for Contemporary Art, Richmond, Virginia, 2018; Rashid Johnson. No More Water at Lismore Castle Arts, Lismore, Ireland, 2018 and Rashid Johnson. Hail We Now Sing Joy at The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, Missouri, which traveled to the Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 2017.
ABOUT SOTHEBY’S
Established in 1744, Sotheby’s is the world’s premier destination for art and luxury. Sotheby’s promotes access to and ownership of exceptional art and luxury objects through auctions and buy-now channels including private sales, e-commerce, and retail. Our trusted global marketplace is supported by an industry-leading technology platform and a network of specialists spanning 40 countries and 70 categories which include Contemporary Art, Modern and Impressionist Art, Old Masters, Chinese Works of Art, Jewelry, Watches, Wine and Spirits, and Design, as well as collectible cars and real estate. Sotheby’s believes in the transformative power of art and culture and is committed to making our industries more inclusive, sustainable, and collaborative.
ABOUT GANDER & WHITE
Gander & White Shipping is the world’s leading expert in the storage, transportation and installation of high-value objects from public collections and institutions, interior design projects, galleries, international relocations, and estates. Founded in the UK in 1933, it is a Royal Warrant-holding company with 16 fine art facilities in seven international locations and a peerless reputation as the storage and transportation partner of choice for clients on six continents.
Gander & White Shipping is Planetmark certified and is also the only asset based fine art shipper with a global presence to have secured “Active Membership” of the Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC). To achieve this, Gander & White has completed a CO2e audit, established a Green Team and published an Environmental Responsibility Statement to demonstrate its commitment to adopting more sustainable practices within the industry. It is an investor in, and official supplier of, RokBox Loop.
ABOUT THE NORTON MUSEUM OF ART
The Norton Museum of Art, Florida’s largest art museum, is home to a distinguished collection of art, with holdings in American, European, Contemporary and Chinese Art and Photography.
Founded in 1941 by Ralph Hubbard Norton and his wife, Elizabeth Calhoun Norton, the Museum collects, preserves, and exhibits art, and engages visitors through exhibitions, events, and live entertainment featuring local musicians and performance artists. Public programming is year-round and designed to inspire conversations and build community through the power of art. The Museum is accessible to all.
The Museum’s expansion and renovation was led by London-based architecture firm Foster + Partners, adding a building and more than 12,000 square feet of new gallery space, an educational center, a store and restaurant, a sculpture garden, and a Great Hall, serving as the Museum’s “living room.” The campus is home to renovated, Museum-owned, 1920s-era cottages that house artists-in-residence.
