The Hirshhorn’s Artist x Artist Gala Looks Back on a Landmark Year

On Nov. 6, heavyweights in the art and culture spheres headed to the Frank Gehry–designed IAC Building in New York to attend the Hirshhorn Museum’s annual Artist x Artist Gala. Spotlighting the strength of the contemporary art community, the occasion saw more than 20 creative talents nominate fellow artists who have inspired them or influenced their careers. Each pair was honored together for their ongoing contributions to the art world. Among the pairs were Awol Erizku and Urs Fischer, Misha Kahn and Wang Shui, Doris Salcedo and Carrie Mae Weems, Tavares Strachan and Jeffrey Meris, and Derrick Adams and Mickalene Thomas, all of whom were in attendance. Raising more than a million dollars, the event also served as an occasion to look back on a successful year with the debut of their MTV+Smithsonian Channel docuseries “The Exhibit: Finding the Next Great Artist” and the groundbreaking of the revitalized Sculpture Garden designed by Hiroshi Sugimoto. Photos by Mike Vitelli and Deonté Lee/BFA.