More than 165 'Artists for Kamala' auction their work in support of Harris

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Amy Sherald, As soft as she is..., 2023. / Courtesy of Amy Sherald and Hauser & Wirth

The bidding has begun. Leading contemporary artists including Carrie Mae Weems, Judy Chicago, Jeff Koons and Shepard Fairey have donated works for an auction intended to raise money for Kamala Harris’ campaign for president.

Many of the works that have been donated will remain open for bidding through Oct. 8 on the platform Artsy. Proceeds from the Artists for Kamala: Benefit Auction will go to the Harris Victory Fund.

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Shepard Fairey, Radical Peace Chaos, Version 1, 2023 / Shepard Fairey/OBEY GIANT ART

Among the lots with the most bids as of this afternoon are works by Amy Sherald, Rashid Johnson and Christine Sun Kim.

The auction also includes a silkscreen from Hank Willis Thomas that reads: "FRAGILE DEMOCRACY HANDLE WITH CARE," and a selection from one of Jenny Holzer’s Truisms that says, “There are too few immutable truths today.”

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Jenny Holzer, Selection from Truisms: There are too few..., 2023. / Jenny Holzer and Sprüth Magers

Like President Biden, who called for an increase in funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, Vice President Harris has championed the arts.

As reported by Hyperallergic, Harris has supported legislation that would help further the work of cultural institutions. She was on the board of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and once posted on social media, “It’s a no-brainer that if we want our children to thrive, we need to reinvest in America’s public education system — including the arts.”

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Njideka Akunyili Crosby, “The Beautyful Ones” May Have Arrived, 2023, Courtesy of the artist, Victoria Miro, and David Zwirner.