Artists Rally for Jamaica and L.A. With Hollywood Auction

CORE and TBA21 launch a benefit auction featuring top contemporary artists to support hurricane recovery and wildfire relief efforts.

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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During L.A. Art Week, CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort) and TBA21 Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary are launching a benefit auction called 'Get Up Stand Up: Artists for Jamaica and Los Angeles.' The live and online auction will feature works by over 20 contemporary artists, including Henry Taylor, Hank Willis Thomas, and others, with 100% of proceeds going towards CORE's long-term recovery efforts in Jamaica and Haiti, as well as assisting communities affected by the recent wildfires in Los Angeles.

Why it matters

This auction aligns Caribbean-rooted artists, an environmental advocacy foundation, and a disaster relief organization to support communities that have been devastated by climate-driven disasters, like Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica and the wildfires in Los Angeles. The event highlights how the art world can leverage its resources and platforms to support long-term recovery efforts in areas that are often overlooked once the news cycle moves on.

The details

The benefit auction will kick off with a live sale in Hollywood led by Swiss auctioneer Simon de Pury, followed by two weeks of online bidding. Tickets for the opening reception are $1,000. The roster of over 20 participating artists includes many who draw directly from Caribbean histories and diasporic memory, giving the sale added significance. One hundred percent of the proceeds will support CORE's long-term recovery work in Jamaica and Haiti, assist communities affected by the Los Angeles wildfires, and bolster its emergency response fund.

  • The benefit auction will launch on February 26, 2026, during L.A. Art Week.
  • The live sale in Hollywood will be held on the evening of February 26, 2026, with online bidding continuing for two weeks.

The players

CORE

Community Organized Relief Effort, a disaster relief organization founded after the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

TBA21 Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary

An art foundation and advocacy organization focused on environmental issues.

Simon de Pury

A Swiss auctioneer who will lead the live sale in Hollywood.

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What they’re saying

“With every disaster, when the news moves on, so many communities are left without the support they need. So many of these communities — like in Jamaica — are the least responsible for the climate crisis, and yet bear the full price of it.”

— Ann Lee, Co-founder and CEO of CORE (artnews.com)

“The message here is less about symbolism and more about cash. One hundred percent of proceeds will support CORE's long-term recovery work in Jamaica and Haiti, assist communities affected by the Los Angeles wildfires, and bolster its emergency response fund, which handles roughly a dozen crises a year.”

— Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza, Founder and chairwoman of TBA21 (artnews.com)

What’s next

The live auction in Hollywood will be held on the evening of February 26, 2026, with online bidding continuing for two weeks after the launch event.

The takeaway

This benefit auction demonstrates how the art world can leverage its resources and platforms to support long-term recovery efforts in communities devastated by climate-driven disasters, particularly those that are often overlooked once the news cycle moves on. The alignment of Caribbean-rooted artists, an environmental advocacy foundation, and a disaster relief organization highlights the potential for cross-sector collaboration to address the disproportionate impact of the climate crisis on vulnerable communities.