Taking place on August 1, 2025, the gala will celebrate artist Glenn Ligon, recipient of the 2025 Lewis Family Art Award at the Aspen Art Museum.
Esteemed for his incisive explorations of history, identity, and language, Glenn Ligon has emerged as a pivotal figure in contemporary art. His powerful body of work redefines the role of art as a catalyst for cultural dialogue and social inquiry. As the 2025 honoree, Ligon joins a distinguished lineage of artists recognized for their profound contributions to the art world. In tandem with this award, the Aspen Art Museum will present a solo exhibition of his work in Winter 2025–2026, offering visitors the opportunity to delve into his oeuvre.
Aspen Art Museum’s 20th annual Art Crush will offer a range of artworks donated by major international artists through a live auction. The live auction and Gala will be held on Friday, August 1. For nearly two decades, the ArtCrush gala has been the largest annual fundraiser for the Aspen Art Museum, with proceeds supporting innovative exhibitions and dynamic educational programs that impact both local and international communities. The ArtCrush 2025 Auction Exhibition will be on view at the Museum beginning mid-July 2025, as the lead-up to the Gala.
The Museum’s auction partner, Christie’s, will be conducting the live auction during the ArtCrush gala. All of the works have been generously donated to the Museum by artists and galleries in support of the Museum’s artistic and educational programs. In celebration of the founding of the Aspen Art Museum by artists, the Museum is again inviting artists to retain a percentage of the value of their works for the second year in a row.
About the Honoree
Glenn Ligon (b. 1960) is an artist living and working in New York. Throughout his career, Ligon has pursued an incisive exploration of American history, literature, and society across bodies of work that build critically on the legacies of modern painting and conceptual art. He earned his BA from Wesleyan University (1982) and attended the Whitney Museum Independent Study Program (1985). In 2011, the Whitney Museum of American Art held a mid-career retrospective, AMERICA, organized by Scott Rothkopf, that traveled nationally. Important solo exhibitions include Post-Noir, Carre d’Art, Nîmes (2022); Call and Response, Camden Arts Centre, London (2014); and Some Changes, The Power Plant Center for Contemporary Art, Toronto (2005). Select curatorial projects include Grief and Grievance, New Museum, New York (2021); Blue Black, Pulitzer Arts Foundation, St. Louis (2017); and Encounters and Collisions, Nottingham Contemporary and Tate Liverpool (2015). Ligon’s work has been shown in major international exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale (2015, 1997), Berlin Biennial (2014), Istanbul Biennial (2019, 2011), and Documenta XI (2002). His solo exhibition Glenn Ligon: All Over the Place is currently on view at The Fitzwilliam Museum at the University of Cambridge, England through March 2025.
Attire
Celestial Nights
ArtCrush 2025 is made possible through the generous support of ZEGNA. Additional support is provided by Christie’s, J.P. Morgan Private Bank, and Steven Shane of Compass Real Estate.
Tables and Tickets are limited and by invitation