History
TWO X TWO FOR AIDS AND ART
A benefit for amfAR and the Dallas Museum of Art
Dallas, Texas
TWO X TWO EVENT HISTORY
Thanks to the phenomenal support of the dealer and artist community, TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art’s annual benefit gala dinner and art auction has raised over $25 million in its 11-year history in support of amfAR’s AIDS research initiatives and the DMA’s contemporary art acquisition program.
TWO x TWO is such a successful event because it provides an opportunity to support two very worthy organizations. amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research, has made great strides in essential AIDS research initiatives over the last 25 years, and TWO x TWO has become amfAR’s largest fundraiser in the United States. The Dallas Museum of Art has added some 75 major works of contemporary art to their permanent collection with TWO x TWO proceeds donated to their Contemporary Art Acquisition Fund and exhibitions. TWO x TWO is also the DMA’s largest annual fundraiser.
ABOUT TWO X TWO
Drawing prominent artists, art collectors and philanthropists from around the world, TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art has evolved into a week full of social events aimed at recognizing the progress of amfAR and engaging the arts community here in Dallas. An eagerly anticipated event that quickly sells out, the benefit features a seated dinner for 400 guests with both a live and silent auction of major works of contemporary art and unique luxury items. The following day, amfAR presents its Award of Excellence for Artistic Contributions to the Fight Against AIDS at an intimate luncheon at the home of a Dallas art collector.
The Saturday night gala and auction, presented in the Richard Meier-designed Rachofsky House, is conducted by Sotheby’s Chairman Jamie Niven, and has included celebrities such as Alan Cumming, Shirley MacLaine, Liza Minnelli, Sharon Stone, Kenneth Cole, Sigourney Weaver, Barry Manilow, Dita Von Teese, Stanley Tucci and Natasha Richardson. Renowned artists April Gornik, Robert Rauschenberg, Ed Ruscha, Julian Schnabel, Joel Shapiro, Cecily Brown, Tom Friedman, Elizabeth Peyton, Jim Hodges and Peter Doig have been honored. TWO x TWO’s 2010 honoree is artist Christopher Wool.
In combining the art, entertainment and philanthropy worlds, TWO x TWO for AIDS and Art is a unique event.
BENEFICIARIES
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, founded in 1985, is dedicated to ending the global AIDS epidemic through innovative research. With the freedom and flexibility to respond quickly to emerging areas of scientific promise, amfAR plays a catalytic role in accelerating the pace of HIV/AIDS research and achieving real breakthroughs. amfAR-funded research has increased our understanding of HIV and has helped lay the groundwork for major advances in the study and treatment of HIV/AIDS. Since 1985, amfAR has invested nearly $307 million in its mission and has awarded grants to more than 2,200 research teams worldwide.
Visit www.amfar.org.
The Dallas Museum of Art, established in 1903, has an encyclopedic collection of more than 26,000 works spanning 5,000 years of history and representing all media with renowned strengths in the arts of the ancient Americas, Africa, Indonesia, and South Asia; European and American painting, sculpture, and decorative arts; and American and international contemporary art.
The Dallas Museum of Art is the anchor of the growing Dallas Arts District and, in all its vitality, serves as a cultural magnet for the city with diverse programming ranging from exhibitions and lectures to concerts, literary readings, and dramatic and dance presentations. The Museum serves more than one-half million visitors a year and offers more than 3,500 education and public programs annually designed to engage people of all ages with the power and excitement of art.
Visit www.dallasmuseumofart.org.