On Thursday, October 1, Photo15 and Paddle 8 successfully auctioned off over $300,000 worth of prized photographs in support of the 2017 build of the National Aids Monument in West Hollywood Park. Guest of honor Sharon Stone set the tone for the evening with an empowering speech before opening up the stage to over 80 pieces of photographic works by photographers such as Catherine Opie, Herb Ritts and Ed Ruscha at Milk Studios in Los Angeles. The live auction drew big-name supporters of the cause, such as Eric McCormack, Michelle Branch, Janet Holden, Billy Zane, Amanda Demme and Crystal Lourd. Top bids included a $27,000 tag for Firooz Zahedi’s “Elizabeth Taylor at the Shah Chirag Shrine, Isfahan, Iran, 1976/2013,” with each individual donation matched by Cedar Sinai Medical Center Foundation. The National Aids Monument—set to be designed by Daniel Tobin of the Urban Art Projects— will contain a digital function, allowing visitors to upload stories, videos, and images of lost ones, as well as a public information center to spread awareness about HIV/AIDS.

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