NEW YORK, NY.- An art auction of works by more than seventy eminent contemporary artists to benefit The Family Resource Center, a program of the New York City-based Partnership for the Homeless, will be held at Gagosian Gallery on January 29, 2010.

Following a festive cocktail reception and silent auction, there will be a special performance by world-renowned opera artist Jessye Norman, national spokesperson for The Partnership for the Homeless. Ms. Norman will present songs from the American songbook.

This will be followed by a live auction, to be conducted by Tobias Meyer, principal auctioneer, worldwide head of contemporary art, Sotheby’s.

Arnold S. Cohen, president and CEO of The Partnership for the Homeless, will make brief remarks, with Larry Gagosian as host.

An unprecedented number of distinguished artists have contributed works to the auction, including: Richard Artschwager, John Baldessari, Matthew Barney, Louise Bourgeois, Chris Burden, Vija Clemins, Chuck Close, Mark di Suvero, Jenny Holzer, Roni Horn, Joan Jonas, Jeff Koons, Vik Muniz, Takashi Murakami, Bruce Nauman, Richard Serra, Kiki Smith, Hiroshi Sugimoto, and Lawrence Weiner, among many others.

Approximately 300 guests are expected to join The Partnership for the Homeless in support of this program. They include: Richard Armstrong, Peter M. Brant, Melva Bucksbaum and Raymond Learsy, Constance R. Caplan, Paula Cooper, Emily Fisher Landau, Mr. and Mrs. Arne Glimcher, Tiffany Bell and Richard Gluckman, Agnes Gund, Marie-Josée Kravis, Mr. and Mrs. Ronald S. Lauder, Dorothy Lichtenstein, Glenn Lowry, Nicholas Rohatyn, and Andrea Rosen, among others.

The Family Resource Center
The Family Resource Center, a program of The Partnership for the Homeless, works with families in a holistic manner to ensure that children experiencing a housing crisis continue to progress in school. Under the auspices of the Partnership’s Education Rights Project, the Center serves children living in shelters or in poverty in East New York, Brooklyn. Proceeds raised by the auction benefit will enable the Partnership to hire additional social workers and educational advocates to support outreach to these families and provide a greater depth of service. The Center meets with over 2,000 families annually.

The Partnership for the Homeless
The Partnership for the Homeless, founded in 1983, is committed to building a just and equitable society and creating lasting change through solution-oriented programs and policy initiatives that eliminate the root causes of homelessness. For more information, please visit www.partnershipforthehomeless.org.