April 1, 2015

2015 Contemporary Art Forum

Almost 350 guests turned out for the

2015 Contemporary Art Forum Dinner

and Auction on March 20 in the

Cummings Great Hall at Phoenix Art

Museum. Contemporary art from 60

of the nation’s finest artists was

available for purchase.

Lexi Bowers and Bill LeGoullon

Contemporary Forum, a volunteer Phoenix Art Museum support organization, uses funds from the event to purchase contemporary artwork for the museum’s collection and to provide grants for emerging and mid-career artists. The mix of art at the event included ceramics, painting, mixed media, photography, sculpture and glass.

The evening at the museum included a cocktail reception, art preview, dinner, and silent and live auctions.

Over the past 20 years, Contemporary Forum has purchased more than $3 million worth of artwork for the Phoenix Art Museum collection. The artwork at the 2015 event sold for the highest price per piece since before the downturn in the economy in the early 2000s.

Kim Nikolaev, Mary Heiss Dorenbecher, Mimi Jardine and Patrick Gerlach co-chaired the event.

PHOTOS BY KEVIN KARG