CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort) and TBA 21 - Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary presented Get Up Stand Up: Artists For Jamaica and Los Angeles, a landmark benefit auction mobilizing the international art community in response to the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica and the wildfires in Los Angeles. 

Attendees included Winnie Harlow, Diplo, Evan Ross, Zuri Marley, Urs Fischer, Kim Shui, Simon de Pury, Brigitte Romanek, Rosetta Getty, Balthazar Getty, and more.

The event featured a riveting live auction with Simon de Pury, raising over $500,000. The auction continues online and is now live with additional lots available at www.de-pury.com, including pieces by Nari Ward, Alberta Whittle, Phoebe Collings-James, Hank Willis Thomas, Tomás Saraceno, Ernesto Neto, and Ragnar Kjartansson. 

The event was brought to life by efforts from Rachael Barrett and Lauren Taschen. CORE saw generous donations from a global cohort of artists, gallerists, and patrons, including Thaddaeus Ropac, Alvaro Barrington, Urs Fischer, Hank Willis Thomas, Paul Anthony Smith, Nicola Vassell Gallery, Fortes D’Aloia, Hauser & Wirth, and more. 

100% of the proceeds raised will support CORE’s long-term recovery efforts, helping communities rebuild after Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica and Haiti, and the Los Angeles wildfires, while also strengthening CORE’s Emergency Response Fund, which enables rapid, community-led responses to an estimated 12 emergencies a year. Together, these efforts ensure both immediate relief and sustained support for communities navigating the long road to recovery. 

Event Highlights

• The auction led by Simon de Pury kicked off with a bidding war between Diplo and Winnie Harlow, where the international DJ beat out the supermodel for a one-of-one Savannah Baker photograph.
• The star lot, and the only artwork on view, was Urs Fischer’s Lifeboat (2024), which was generously donated by the artist.
• The auction’s final lot was a 5-night stay at Diplo’s ‘Private Jungle Paradise’ (coined by Architectural Digest) in Jamaica, Pompey.
• Before the bidding began, the musician threw in a bespoke song within the lot, awarded to the highest bidder. The night ended with endless dancing to sounds by Zuri Marley, Troy Baker, G33zy, and a special performance by Santigold. 

Image credit: Jason Sean Weiss/BFA