Uma Thurman, Ann Dexter-Jones join 10th annual Tibet House US benefit auction at Christie’s

Actress Uma Thurman, writer/socialite Ann Dexter-Jones, celebrity chef Eric Ripert and reality show Gallery Girls’ Amy Poliakoff were among the VIPs attending the 10^th annual Tibet House US benefit auction at Christie’s Rockefeller center on Tuesday.

The items auctioned this year included exotic journeys to Nepal and Bali, a lunch with Robert and Uma Thurman at The Four Seasons in New York, a behind-the-scenes NYC Fashion week experience with supermodel Petra Nemkova, a visit for two to the set of the TV show Boardwalk Empire, a walk-on role in a movie and much more. Bidders could also purchase contemporary art by artists such as Donald Baechler, Milton Glaser, Patty Smith and Ed Ruscha.

Tibet House US, established in 1987 by Dalai Lama, is a permanent culture center with a mission to preserve Tibet’s cultural and spiritual heritage. It contains a 2,000-square-foot gallery, library, archives, travel exhibitions, print publications and more. This year a portion of the proceeds will go to support the Tibetan Community of New York and New Jersey’s community center in Queens and the Tibetan Children’s Village – an integrated educational community for Tibetan children in exile and those escaping the country every year. Tibet has been part of China since the 1950s, while its government is functioning in exile in Dharamshala, India.

The Upcoming caught up with Amy Poliakoff before the show for a few questions:

Is this your first time at the Tibet House US Auction tonight?

Yes, it’s my first time and I’m excited and looking forward to all the different items that are gonna be up.

Is there something particular you want to bid for?

I keep my options open, I’m gonna see and go from there.

What’s your position on the Tibetan political situation?

I’m a very open-minded person as I said before. I think that everybody has the right to be heard, whether it’s a democracy or not, and I hope that this really happens.

What else is going on with you?

I’m working on a few events, pretty much “pop-up shows”, I’m collaborating with different artists, venues and companies so new artists can have their art exposed. My next event is coming early in January so stay tuned!

What are your current favorite artists?

I guess I really like Mark Ryden, I think that he’s very detail-oriented and his material figures really stand out. And for the gallery I work for right now I do photo realism, so I really respect Nathan Walsh – I think he’s great in terms of his perspective. Roberto Bernardi as well – they’re really good at redoing the reality.

Martina Dechevska

Photos: Raffael Flores-Contreras