Hickok Cole Architects and Washington Project for the Arts Raise More than $120,000 at 15th Annual ‘Art Night’ Benefit
The firm's ample office space was transformed by WPA into an eclectic art gallery. Attendees were invited to grab a drink, peruse the work of local artists displayed on all three floors and, when they saw something they liked, to buy it.
By Diana Mosher, Editorial Director
MHN was a media sponsor of Art Night 2014. Pictured: Keat Foong, Executive Editor and Diana Mosher, Editorial Director
Washington, DC—For the second year in a row MHN sponsored one of real estate’s most interesting networking events, Art Night, on October 30 at the Washington, DC headquarters of Hickok Cole Architects. Hosted by the firm’s principals Yolanda Cole, AIA, IIDA, LEED AP and Michael Hickok, FAIA, the event was founded by Michael Hickok 15 years ago. Art Night 2014 was presented in collaboration with Washington Project for the Arts (WPA).
The place to see and be seen in DC, 780 of Washington’s art patrons, real estate executives, architects and designers packed the Georgetown offices of Hickok Cole. The firm’s ample office space was transformed by WPA into an eclectic art gallery. Attendees were invited to grab a drink, peruse the work of local artists displayed on all three floors and, when they saw something they liked, to buy it.
Curator Deirdre Ehlen MacWilliams selected a range of exciting and dynamic works in a variety of mediums. Art Night 2014 generated a record $120,000 in artwork sales in two hours. Proceeds will be helping further the WPA’s mission to promote and present the work created by the local DC art community. The artists receive 50 percent of the sale price, with the other 50 percent donated to WPA.
John Aquilino, Almost Blue, 2013
oil on canvas, 30″ by 40″
Hickok Cole generated $70,000 in advance sales by asking friends, colleagues, and clients to invest in the local arts community by becoming Art Angel sponsors. Each Art Angel committed an upfront amount of $2,000 towards the purchase of art at Art Night. This year’s Art Angels include: Clark Construction Group; DAVIS Construction; Douglas Development; Equity Residential; GPI; Haworth, Inc., Mohawk Group and The Tower Companies.
The Hickok Cole principals are themselves Art Angels and every year they also purchase a new piece of art for the firm at Art Night. Employees vote on their favorites, and at 8:30 pm the piece with the most votes wins. This year’s selected piece by artist Amy Finkelstein is an abstract c-print photograph. Over the years, the firm has gained a sizable art collection chosen entirely by the staff.
