ICA LA held the 14th iteration of our legendary benefit art sale INCOGNITO on Saturday, May 7, 2022. A beloved tradition, INCOGNITO is unique among museum fundraisers. Approximately 375 established and emerging artists contributed original works of art in any medium of their choosing. Featuring paintings, drawings, photographs, and sculptures, every work was the same scale—12 x 12 inches—and sold for the same price, only $500, no matter the experience of the artist or their current market value. To further underscore INCOGNITO’s foundations of equity and playfulness, all artists remain anonymous—incognito—their identities only revealed after the purchase of their work.

INCOGNITO was created with the belief that collecting art should not be out of reach for so many. By keeping the same low price for all artworks, starting a collection—and supporting a vital arts organization at the same time—is made accessible for far more people. Most importantly, guests are encouraged to use their eyes, follow their hearts, and trust their instincts to make their selections!

Every iteration of INCOGNITO features a new logo by a local artist, and we are so grateful to Andrea Bowers for creating one of her fantastic cardboard and LED light text works as our INCOGNITO 2022 logo! Its festive colors and use of ephemeral light perfectly capture the spirit of the event.

For the second time since the pandemic began in 2020, INCOGNITO was reimagined as a virtual event. Hosted by the multi-talented comedian, actor, musician, and yes, visual artist, Demetri Martin, the live broadcast included a 30-minute program featuring ICA LA staff Good Works Executive Director Anne Ellegood and Director of Learning & Engagement Asuka Hisa; board members Laura Donnelley and Charles Gaines, artists Ron Athey and Lara Schnitger, as well as Agency of Assets co-founder Peter Galindo and alumnae Katelee Cervantes and sneak previews of upcoming programs. After the program, the online art sale opened and work sold quickly, raising over $275,000 to support ICA LA’s roster of dynamic exhibitions and Learning & Engagement programs—all of which are always free to the public.

Just some of the participating artists included Tanya Aguiñiga, Edgar Arceneaux, Carmen Argote, Jamal Cyrus, Shannon Ebner, Sharif Farrag, Charles Gaines, Liz Glynn, Sayre Gomez, Todd Gray, Lauren Halsey, EJ Hill, Jessica Jackson Hutchins, Michael Joo, Sharon Lockhart, Tala Madani, Harold Mendez, Yunhee Min, Cathy Opie, Laura Owens, Lari Pittman, Max Hooper Schneider, Lara Schnitger, Kerry Tribe, Pae White, B. Wurtz, and Rosha Yaghmai.

For information about future ICA LA benefits, sponsorship, and press inquiries, please contact incognito@theicala.org

Special thanks to artist Andrea Bowers for designing this year’s INCOGNITO logo. 

Event Chair:  Miriam Rothbart

Host Committee:  Vera Campbell, Laura Donnelley, Claudia Flores, Maria Greenshields-Ziman, Brooke Kanter, Mali Kinberg, Liana Krupp, Elsa Longhauser, Randi Malkin Steinberger, Sarah McHale, Marla Michaels, Nu Nguyen, Tracy O’Brien, Lexa Safran, Cindy Schwarzstein, Joy Simmons

Andrea Bowers, Incognito (ICA LA), 2022. Cardboard and color changing LED lights. 49 x 72 x 6 inches (124.46 x 182.88 x 15.24 cm). Courtesy of the artist and Vielmetter Los Angeles. Photo: Brica Wilcox