Hasta La Ideas

There are benefit auctions and then there are benefit auctions. The one organized by the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is of the latter variety, italicized for seriousness of purpose (all dollars earned go to support BAM programs) and seriously covetable art on offer. You have ’til the clock strikes 6:00 p.m. EST on Sunday to bid on the more than 100 works in the eighth edition of the BAMart Silent Auction, for which the organization has partnered with burgeoning online art marketplace Paddle8.com.

With BAM Trustee and megacollector Beth Rudin DeWoody on board as “honorary auction curator,” the 150-year-old performing arts center (America’s oldest) has lined up an eye-popping selection of works, some of which—stunning Pat Steir canvas, we’re looking at you—will move to Phillips as live auction lots. Brooklyn’s own art scene is represented by the likes of Tauba Auerbach, Dustin Yellin, Erik Benson, and Mickalene Thomas, whose “High Priestess in Black Dress” (2011) is a sassy mix of photos, drawings, and vintage wallpaper. Meanwhile, there are plenty of blue-chip works, including those by William Kentridge, Cindy Sherman, and Richard Serra. Stumped for a Mother’s Day gift? Nothing says “I love you” like a “Deadly Fucking Rainbow,” by Michael Scoggins. More traditional types can opt for the Ellsworth Kelly, whose bold lithograph can double as a Romanian flag. And speaking of flags, Maira Kalman offers a charming sea of American versions, in her “2 Million People” (2009-2011).

Pictured: “Baby Jane,” a 2008 watercolor by Mark Chamberlain

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