Bailey House Honors Queer, Black Artist Derrick Adams; Benefit Raises Over $200,000 For New Yorkers Living With HIV/AIDS, Chronic Illnesses

Derrick Adams 'Cool Down Pop (RWB), AP5' (2023)
A removable red-white-and-blue ice pop springs up at an angle from a square launch pad. The stick of the quintessential frozen summer 'firecracker,' 'rocket,' or 'bomb' treat replica is inscribed with the artist's signature and the work's edition number. Multidisciplinary artist Derrick Adams chose the sentimental imagery to convey a celebration of and open a conversation about contemporary Black life and culture. Even if it's not the same pop every viewer chose as a kid on a sweltering day, it evokes the joy of hearing whatever cheerful, catchy tune the ice cream cart played as it rolled into your childhood neighborhood. It may also symbolize a new interpretation of the American dream.
Adams' Cool Down Pop (RWB), AP5 (2023) fetched $8,000 during a live auction Monday evening at the Art House benefit at The Bowery Hotel in New York City, hosted by Bailey House, the leading provider of housing and supportive services for New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS and other chronic illnesses.
Art enthusiasts may recognize the painted aluminum sculpture from multiples sold by Gagosian, signaling Adams' status in the art world.
The live auction included the sale of Herb Ritts' bold, sensual Duo II, Los Angeles (1990). Combined with a silent online auction and donation, the joyous community-building event raised over $200,000.
Herb Ritts 'Duo II, Los Angeles' (1990)
The online auction, powered by Artsy, featured more than 50 original works by: Adams, Abdolreza Aminlari, Matthew Bede Murphy, Kayleena Berry, LaKela Brown, Debra Cartwright, Cecile Chong, Natasha Das, Damien Davis, Jay Davis, Saul Endara, Aristotle Forrester, Philippe Hausmeier, Karsen Heagle, Gonzalo Hernandez, John Kelly, Karo Kuchar, Lucas Michael, Ruben Natal-San Miguel, Kwesi O. Kwarteng, Sean O'Connor, Emilio Perez, Ritts, Kevin Sabo, Haris Sardar, Agathe Snow, Jeremy Sorese, George Stoll, Berend Strik, Borris Torres, and Louis Venturelli.
FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™
Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase
Pinpoint By Linkedin
Guess The Category
Queens By Linkedin
Crown Each Region
Crossclimb By Linkedin
Unlock A Trivia Ladder
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 16: Kathleen McGivney speaks onstage during the 2025 Art House Benefit for ... More Bailey House at The Bowery Hotel on June 16, 2025 in New York City. (Photo byfor Housing Works)
'We read the news every day coming from Washington, and it is terrifying. By being here tonight, you're helping us to protect, serve, and house communities that are under direct attack,' Chair of the Board of Directors of Bailey House, Kathleen McGivney, told supporters Monday. 'Thank you for showing up and standing up for an organization that's working to build New York better. Tonight is a celebration of art, and I'm so grateful to the artists who have generously donated their treasures for auction.'
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 16: Kim Cullen speaks onstage during the 2025 Art House Benefit for Bailey ... More House at The Bowery Hotel on June 16, 2025 in New York City. (Photo byfor Housing Works)
Adams was honored Monday as the 2025 Gina Quattrochi Arts & Legacy Award recipient.
'It's a privilege to be here to support an organization that's bringing joy to so many people through life saving services, the mission of Housing Works and Bailey House deeply align with the vision of the artists we're here to honor tonight,' said Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer at New York Live Arts, Kim Cullen. 'Derek Adams is a friend, a singular, once-in-a-generation talent, best known for his vibrant depictions of Black joy, leisure, beauty, creating art that examines the cultural capital built by Black people throughout history.'
Adams' work has been featured in solo exhibitions at institutions such as The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland (2022); The Momentary, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville (2021); Hudson River Museum, Yonkers (2020); and the Museum of Arts and Design, New York (2018). Adams has mounted multiple public installations, and his work has been featured in notable group exhibitions, including: Giants: Art from the Dean Collection, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Brooklyn (2024); The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century, Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore (2023); Packaged Black: Derrick Adams & Barbara Earl Thomas, Henry Art Gallery, Seattle (2022); Textures: The History and Art of Black Hair, Kent State University Museum (2021–2022); and Performa, New York (2015, 2013, 2005). His art is in the collections of many institutions, including: The Brooklyn Museum; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; The Studio Museum in Harlem; the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond; and the Birmingham Museum of Art.
Adams earned a BFA from Pratt Institute, New York, in 1996 and a MFA from Columbia University, New York, in 2003. He has held numerous teaching positions and is currently a tenured assistant professor in the School of Visual, Media and Performing Arts at CUNY Brooklyn College. He was granted an honorary doctorate from Maryland Institute College of Art.
In 2022, Adams established Charm City Cultural Cultivation, a non-profit organization to support and encourage underserved communities in the city of Baltimore.
But his life didn't begin with a charmed existence.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 16: Honoree Derrick Adams speaks onstage during the 2025 Art House Benefit ... More for Bailey House at The Bowery Hotel on June 16, 2025 in New York City. (Photo byfor Housing Works)
'When I arrived in New York in 2006 I was homeless, but I found my way to Tyler house, right here in the East Village, on 9th Street,' Adams said, referencing the proximity of the hotel, which has had multiple uses and served in 1940s as a flophouse for returning World War II soldiers, when the now-ritzy Bowery was known as "Skid Row.'
'I can say without hesitation that this organization is home for me. This is where I found community and the help I needed to become housing stable. From then on, I allowed myself to experience the joy of living a healthy and vibrant life. I began to volunteer for Housing Works. I wanted to help the community. They helped me and uplift others who needed the same help that I needed. I originally entered their job training program to become a full-time field organizer and peer advocate to be able to inspire others to activism. That has been a dream,' Adams shared. 'Through Housing Works, I learned how to advocate for myself, and now I'm able to fight for those who need our help the most for giving me this opportunity. I am forever grateful. The opportunity led me to being elected to the Housing Works Board of Directors five years ago. … I've learned even more about how to elevate my voice as an advocate. We make our voices loud in the streets for housing equality and access to equal health care. We plead for dignity and the right to be seen as members of the LGBTQ+ community. … I'm proud to be a black queer artist.'
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 16: A view of art pieces up for auction during the 2025 Art House Benefit ... More for Bailey House at The Bowery Hotel on June 16, 2025 in New York City. (Photo byfor Housing Works)
Previous honorees include Mickalene Thomas, Nan Goldin, Nicole Eisenman, Whoopi Goldberg, Debbie Harry, The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation, Cynthia Nixon, Catherine Opie, and Billy Porter.
This year's Benefit Co-Chairs include: Kim Cullen, Agnes Gund, Holzer, Ronald Sosinski, Antwaun Sargent, Thomas, Jasmine Wahi, and Jaqueline Woodson, along with Benefit Committee Members: Dulcina Abreu, Daniel Baez, Rachel Cohen, Chloe Devine, Rob Fields, Adrianna Gautreaux, Micaela Giovonnotti, Gigi Grussing, Natalie Kates, Efrain Lopez, Nick McCarvel, McGivney, Kesha McLeod, Mia Moretti, Erica Newman, Andres Ouyela, Tariku Shiferaw, Sue Stoffel, Marty Preciado, Martina Scala, Alex Tieghi Walker, Hannah Traore, and Louis Venturelli.
The 2025 Art House benefit was sponsored by: The Richman Group, Hudson Inc.; Holzer and Erik Sumption; Agnes Gund; Reno & Cavanaugh PLLC; Broadway Builders; Penta Restoration, Betsy and Hunt Lawrence; and Back Home Cannabis Co.
Read about last year's honoree and benefit:
Championing The Marginalized, Bailey House Honors Artist Mickalene Thomas And Her 'Divine Orchestration'

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Forbes

9 minutes ago

• Forbes

If The Punisher In ‘Spider-Man' Rumor Was True, Is Savage Hulk Next?

The Punisher/Hulk Back in 2019, it seemed up in the air whether we'd ever see Jon Bernthal's Punisher again, given the cancellation of all Netflix series and the absence of his character going forward. Now, he's everywhere. It's now been confirmed that Bernthal's Punisher will be coming to, of all places, the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the fourth film in the series. It's the unusual blending of the most brutal, R-rated antihero in the MCU with one of its most family-friendly offerings in Spider-Man, raising questions about what's going on here. Yes, the two have paired up many times in the comics, but this is certainly the highest-profile instance of that ever now. There's one aspect of this that's also a bit eyebrow-raising. The rumors that The Punisher was joining Spider-Man in his film is an old one, going all the way back to January. But now in late May, insider Jeff Sneider and John Rocha discussed the report again, saying that trustworthy sources said that the plan was for The Punisher was to join forces with Spider-Man to fight against The Hulk. Spider-Man Yes, The Hulk, former Avenger, and with the last time we saw him being the 'smart' version training his cousin She-Hulk in the ways of Hulkdom, also revealing that he had a son out of nowhere, and his mini-plotline seemed to be leading to some sort of upcoming comic-based Planet Hulk/World War Hulk storyline that never materialized. This is, of course, not that. We have no idea what would have transformed chill Banner Hulk into some sort of monstrous Savage Hulk, another version. This is also in the wake of Captain America: Brave New World having Red Hulk as its antagonist (a film that almost felt like a Hulk sequel that did not contain Hulk). So, if the Punisher part of the rumor is true, the question is whether or not the rest of it is, and Hulk really may be the big bad in Spider-Man 4. The news also comes with the confirmation that Zendaya and Jacob Batalon are reportedly back as MJ and Ned in some capacity, despite the ending, which hinted the series was moving on from them. The other high-profile casting is Stranger Things' Sadie Sink in an unknown role that most guess is either 'real' MJ, Mary Jane, or perhaps Gwen Stacy. Bernthal went from nowhere in the MCU to one of its most prolific stars. He will be in both seasons of Daredevil: Born Again, he's starring in his own 'special' on Disney Plus later. Now he's in Spider-Man. Tom Holland and Bernthal have a long history. They helped each other audition for their respective roles way back then, and currently, they're starring in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey together. Now, this is going to be one hell of a team-up. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.

Forbes

13 minutes ago

• Forbes

Jelly Roll Charts His First Hit In The Genre Where He Started His Career

Jelly Roll lands his first win on a hip-hop-focused Billboard chart, debuting at No. 9 on the ... More R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs tally with Lil Wayne's 'Sharks.' SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - APRIL 05: Jelly Roll performs onstage for Coca Cola Live during the 2025 NCAA March Madness Music Festival on April 05, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo byfor 2025 NCAA March Madness Music Festival) Jelly Roll first got his start in the music industry in the hip-hop space, and a number of his early albums see him rapping alongside several other well-known musicians in the hip-hop genre. That trajectory didn't see him gain much traction, so a few years back, he decided to change things up. It wasn't until he ventured into rock and country that he broke out into the American mainstream and became the superstar he is today. Despite his early beginnings, many of Jelly's hits now land on the rock, country, and pop charts, and he has seen only limited success on Billboard's hip-hop rankings. The singer-songwriter finally earns his first win on a genre-specific tally his early work would fit on thanks to his new collaboration with one of the biggest rappers of all time. Lil Wayne's "Sharks" Featuring Jelly Roll Debuts Jelly debuts at No. 9 on this week's R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs chart as a featured artist on "Sharks." The track is fronted by Lil Wayne and appears on his new album, Tha Carter VI, and it also credits rapper Big Sean. "Sharks" is the third-loftiest debut of the week on the R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs tally. It comes in behind "Hip-Hop" — another Wayne track, this time featuring BigXthaPlug and Jay Jones — and GloRilla's "Typa," both of which open inside the top five. Jelly Roll Earns His First Hip-Hop Streaming Hit Jelly earns his first placement on Billboard's list of the most-streamed tracks in America that are classified as hip-hop, rap, or R&B. "Sharks" earns Big Sean his seventh top 10 and twenty-second overall appearance on the roster. Wayne, meanwhile, beats his collaborators by a mile, as he now boasts a milestone 50 total appearances on the R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs ranking throughout the years. "Sharks" Brings Jelly Roll to the Hip-Hop Rankings "Sharks" is a rare hip-hop win for Jelly Roll, as it brings him to half a dozen Billboard charts focused on either hip-hop or rap. The R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs tally is the only list where the Grammy nominee scores his first win, but the collaborative tune also lands him on multiple other rosters. These include the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales, and Hot Rap Songs rankings — for just the second time in his career.

Forbes

19 minutes ago

• Forbes

NYAFF 2025 Lineup Features More Than A Dozen Korean Films

Lee Min-ho stars in 'Omniscient Reader: The Prophet,' which airs at NYAFF on July 26. The New York Asian Film Festival and Film at Lincoln Center has published the full list of films that make up its 24th edition. NYAFF 2025 will run from July 11 to 27 across four New York City venues and champions the idea of Cinema as Disruption. 'This completes our most ambitious program ever,' says Samuel Jamier, NYAFF Executive Director. 'Eight breakthrough filmmakers competing for Uncaged, plus sidebars that reimagine what Asian cinema can be. This full-circle moment reminds us why NYAFF exists: to support bold artists before the world fully recognizes them—and to celebrate how far they've come.' This year's festival opens with one of its Korean selections, the world premiere of Informant, a Korean action-comedy that sets the tone for the lineup. Director Kim Seok will attend the premiere alongside actor Heo Sung-tae, known for his multiple appearances in films and dramas, including his memorable role in Squid Game. The Uncaged Award for Best Feature Film Competition celebrates visionary filmmakers who challenge cinematic conventions. This year's Uncaged Award nominees include one Korean film, Time To Be Strong by Namkoong Sun, which won the Jeonju Grand Prize in 2024. The festival will also include North Korean Cool, an action-focused sidebar on how North Korean characters have become slick operatives, tragic heroes, and sharp-edged mirrors of South Korean fears, fantasies, and politics. 'The Informant," starring Her Sung-tae will open the festival, The Korean films airing at the festival include several premieres as well as special screenings of some noteworthy older films that exemplify this year's theme of Cinema as Disruption. The selection includes Commitment, directed by Park Hong-soo (2013), Forbidden Fairytales, directed by Lee Jong-seok (2024), Fragment, directed by Kim Sung-yoon (2024), The Front Line, directed by Jang Hoon (2011), A Girl With Closed Eyes, directed by Chun Sun-young (2024), Hear Me: Our Summer, directed by Jo Seon-ho (2024), Hidden Face, directed by Kim Dae-woo ( 2024), Horoomon, directed by Lee Il-ha (2025) Informant (Opening Night Film) directed by Kim Seok (2024), Method Acting, directed by Lee Ki-hyuk (2024), The Old Woman With The Knife, directed by Min Kyu-dong (2024), Omniscient Reader: The Prophet, directed by Kim Byong-woo (2025), The Secret House, directed by Park Sang-min (2025), Somebody, directed by Lee Jung-chan, Kim Yeo-jung (2024), The Suspect, directed by Won Shin-yun (2013), Swing Kids, directed by Kang Hyeong-cheol (2018) and Time To Be Strong, directed by Namkoong Sun (2024). NYAFF 2025 also features a selection of cinematic shorts by South Korean directors. The New York Asian Film Foundation Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the exhibition and appreciation of Asian film culture in all its forms, with year-round festivals and programs, and a view to building bridges between Asia and America.