Art With Purpose: CITYarts Summer 2025 Benefit Auction

Art has the power to transform neighborhoods, spark dialogue, and inspire the next generation. Few organizations embody this belief more deeply than CITYarts, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing monumental public art projects, especially murals, to communities across New York City and beyond. Since its founding, CITYarts has empowered artists and youth to collaborate, creating works that celebrate diversity, resilience, and cultural identity.
This summer, CITYarts continues its mission with the CITYarts Summer 2025 Benefit Art Auction, hosted on Bidsquare. Proceeds from the sale will directly support upcoming projects and educational programs for 2025–2026, ensuring that murals and public art initiatives continue to enrich neighborhoods and nurture creativity in the years ahead.

Image: Shakespeare Steps, 1165 Shakespeare Ave, Bronx, NYC 2024; Image Courtesy CITYarts

A Celebration of Artists Giving Back
The auction brings together works by both established and contemporary artists whose practices echo Cityarts’ spirit of social engagement. Collectors have the opportunity not only to acquire compelling works of art, but also to invest in the future of public art and community-driven projects.

Highlights from the sale:

Tom Otterness: Golden Section 7
Internationally recognized for his whimsical bronze figures that populate public spaces from New York to Stockholm, Tom Otterness explores balance, geometry, and play in Golden Section 7. This work reflects the artist’s signature humor and accessibility, making it both a collector’s piece and a reminder of art’s democratic reach.

Lot 29
Golden Section #7, 2025
Graphite on clayboard
11 x 14 inches
Signed on reverse
Courtesy of the artist
Price: $7,500

Agnes Denes: Snail Butterfly Crochet
Visionary artist Agnes Denes is celebrated for her ecological and conceptual works, from the iconic Wheatfield – A Confrontation in Manhattan to her philosophical drawings. Snail Butterfly Crochet embodies her poetic exploration of nature, transformation, and human imagination. For collectors, it offers a rare connection to one of the pioneers of environmental and conceptual art.

Lot 14
Snail Butterfly Crochet, 2020
Signed monoprint
8.5 x 11 inches
14 x 16.25 inches (framed)
Courtesy of the artist
Price: $4,000

Faith Ringgold: All Power to the People
A towering figure in American art and activism, Faith Ringgold’s work blends storytelling, political urgency, and visual power. All Power to the People resonates with her legacy of amplifying Black voices and experiences through her art. This lot is both a collector’s prize and a powerful statement piece that continues her lifelong mission of empowerment through creativity.


Lot 34
All Power to the People, 2023
Serigraph, edition 100/100
30 x 22 inches 
Framed
Courtesy of the artist and ACA Galleries
Price: $3,250

Menashe Kadishman: Howling Dog
Israeli sculptor and painter Menashe Kadishman is best known for his expressive animal imagery, particularly sheep and dogs, as metaphors for innocence, loyalty, and sacrifice. Howling Dog captures raw emotion in a deceptively simple form, bridging the personal and universal in a way that resonates deeply with collectors of modern and contemporary art.

Lot 21
Howling Dog, 1990
Steel
11 x 15 x 5 inches
Courtesy of Nohra Haime Gallery
Price: $4,000

Bid With Purpose
The CITYarts Summer 2025 Benefit Auction is more than a sale, it’s a chance to support community-driven art while acquiring works by leading contemporary artists. Every bid contributes to future murals, workshops, and programs that will bring creativity to public spaces and inspire generations to come.

Explore the full catalog and purchase on Bidsquare.com.