Friday afternoon, CULTURED Editor-in-Chief Sarah Harrelson and Away Co-Founder and CEO Jen Rubio welcomed a cadre of guests to Harrelson’s Los Angeles home. The luncheon convened prominent fixtures from the art world for an afternoon of cocktails and conversation in celebration of Frieze Week.
Jason and Michelle Rubell mingled with Gagosian’s Sophia Cohen and Georgina Cohen, as well as collectors Komal Shah, Lizzie and Sean Rad, Lauren Taschen and Gelila Puck. Artists Mickalene Thomas, Alex Israel, A'Driane Nieves, Lily Stockman, Kelly Akashi, Sharif Farrag, and Nikolai Haas plus Esther Kim Varet and Marfa Stance's Georgia Dant were spotted chatting with Vanity Fair writer Nate Freeman, who all added to the lively hum of the afternoon's conversation.
CULTURED and Away make a natural pairing. The latter’s line of polycarbonate hard shell suitcases—created for travelers, by travelers—has been serving the jet set crowd since the company’s founding in 2016. Who better to partner with CULTURED in celebration of Frieze, which convenes artists, collectors, and admirers alike from across the world in the heart of Los Angeles?
Rubio herself has had quite a meteoric rise within the art world. Currently the Whitney Museum’s youngest board member, the entrepreneur and her husband, Slack and Flickr co-founder Stewart Butterfield, made a $1 million donation upon joining that helped solidify the presence of Free Fridays at the New York institution.
Avid collectors, the couple have been lining their walls with works by the likes of Mickalene Thomas, Marina Perez Simão, Simone Leigh, and, more recently, Alicja Kwade—all of whom have graced the pages of CULTURED over the years. A generous lunch prepared by Mayday LA—complete with a seasonal menu and topped off by lavender ice cream—brought together the art world’s finest for a brief moment of respite before guests dashed off to their next Frieze week opening.
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