Jonas Wood, Japanese Garden 3, oil and acrylic on canvas, 2019.
NEW YORK, N.Y.— Art to Acres has directed a total of $20.9 million for rainforest conservation from the sale of Jonas Wood’s Japanese Garden 3 at Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Art evening sale in New York this spring for $4.9 million and 400 percent in matching funds. This is a record in earnings for a stand-alone philanthropic artwork at the auction house. The conservation process officially commences today with confirmed receipt of all funds matching Wood’s artwork sale. The large-scale landscape painting will help fund a 600,000-acre nature reserve in the lush Andean rainforest of Colombia. Global Wildlife Conservation (GWC) and Rainforest Trust, beneficiaries of these funds, will jointly oversee the conservation project and have made a 400 percent match of the hammer price.
The final lot of the sale, Japanese Garden 3 sold for $4,928,500, nearly 10 times its low estimate of $500,000, a boon for conservation and a new record for Wood. Of this amount, $4,180,000, went to conservation and was matched at 400 percent, resulting in $20.9 million total. Donated by the artist with support from Art to Acres, the artwork will preserve one of the wettest rainforests in the Americas, protecting its unique biodiversity, indigenous tribes, and vast expanses of forest with renowned carbon-storage capacity from encroaching deforestation and illegal logging.
Art to Acres has an ongoing initiative with Christie’s, which began in September 2018 with the sale of several lots in the Post-War to Present morning auction, and a private evening auction that raised nearly $10 million for land conservation, including leveraged funds. The partnership creates new national reserves and sees the sale of an artwork measuring a few feet in size lead to the conservation of thousands of acres of land. Founded by conservationist and artist Haley Mellin, Art to Acres has raised $32 million since its inception for wildlands conservation in 2018.
Vivian Brodie, specialist, Post-War and Contemporary Art, said: “This partnership represents a powerful new initiative to transform works of art into physical acres of protected tropical forest. The relationship between art and conservation does not get much more direct and tangible than this.”
Haley Mellin, founder, Art to Acres, said: “All told, an estimated $20 million is being raised to protect South American rainforest, an area of land twice the size of Los Angeles, through Jonas Wood’s donation of a 60 square-foot painting. Both art and conserved areas have to do with legacy, leaving something for future generations.
Mark Gruin, acting CEO of Rainforest Trust, said: “The opportunity to protect this megadiverse enclave within Colombia, one of the most biodiverse and threatened ecosystems in the world, is exceptionally timely and profoundly important. Establishing this vast reserve will protect a wealth of rare and endemic species, store and prevent the release of massive amounts of climate-altering CO2 and safeguard a vital economic and freshwater resource for tens of thousands of people in poor rural communities.”
Brian Sheth, Chair of the Board, Global Wildlife Conservation, said: “The relationship between nature and art has existed in ways large and small since our shared journey on this planet began. The proceeds and matching funds from the sale will bolster our important work to conserve the crown jewels of tropical forests around the world—the very lifeblood of our planet.”
Don Church, president, Global Wildlife Conservation, said, “Protecting our planet’s forests is a key part of the natural solution to curb climate change and prevent extinction. Doing so will require these kinds of creative collaborations at the intersection of art and nature. We are so grateful for the difference these funds will make not only regionally, but for the health of the planet overall.”
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Global Wildlife Conservation
GWC conserves the diversity of life on Earth by safeguarding wildlands, protecting wildlife and supporting guardians. We maximize our impact through scientific research, biodiversity exploration, habitat conservation, protected area management, wildlife crime prevention, endangered species recovery, and conservation leadership cultivation. Learn more at http://globalwildlife.org.
Rainforest Trust
Rainforest Trust purchases and protects the most threatened tropical forests, saving endangered wildlife through partnerships and community engagement. Through these highly effective partnerships, we can ensure sustainable results necessary for the long-term protection of tropical ecosystems and the wildlife they hold. For more information, visit www.RainforestTrust.org.
About Christies
Christie’s, the world’s leading art business, had global auction, private and digital sales in the first half of 2018 that totaled £2.97 billion / $4.04 billion. Christie’s is a name and place that speaks of extraordinary art, unparalleled service and international expertise. Christie’s offers around 350 auctions annually in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewelry, photographs, collectibles, wine, and more. Prices range from $200 to over $100 million. Christie’s also has a long and successful history conducting private sales for its clients in all categories, with emphasis on Post-War & Contemporary, Impressionist & Modern, Old Masters and Jewelry. Alongside regular sales online, Christie’s has a global presence in 46 countries, with 10 salerooms around the world including in London, New York, Paris, Geneva, Milan, Amsterdam, Dubai, Zürich, Hong Kong, and Shanghai.
