“Toward the Light: Artists for the Ali Forney Center,” an exhibition at David Zwirner gallery in New York, was only on view at the gallery for four days, but during that short time, it raised $950,000 for the Ali Forney Center, a nonprofit that runs a 24-hour drop-in center for queer youth and offers assistance with housing, education, job training, and medical care.
Stephen Truax, who curated the auction, initially aimed for $350,000. It was a modest goal, slightly less than the $373,000 raised in 2024 (which itself witnessed a massive drop from $545,000 collected in 2023). Both of these auctions were co-organized by Sotheby’s and were significantly smaller in scope, being part of larger events that featured only six artists.
This time, however, Truax wanted to go bigger, so he collaborated with David Zwirner to organize a dedicated auction for the event. The result was a whopping $950,000 in sales ($1.2 million after including fees) – nearly triple the initial estimate. Truax saw the move as mutually beneficial to all involved parties. It gave the gallery better control over the exhibited works. The move brought a lot more funds to the Ali Forney Center compared to any year before. It was also a much better deal for the artists who were given the choice to decide how much of the sold value they wanted to take home. While some chose to donate the works entirely, others elected to take 50 percent of the value. As a result, $250,000 of the revenue went to artists while the remaining $950,000 went to the Ali Forney Center
