Alan Faena's Arts Philanthropy Turns 10

The art collector and hotelier Alan Faena usually kicks off the annual bacchanal known as Art Basel Miami Beach with a party at his sprawling hotel property, but it seems this year he got ahead of himself by a few weeks. The fair doesn't open until November 30, but the a phalanx of movers and shakers were on hand Thursday night for the first Faena Art gala, which commemorated ten years of the non-profit of the same, founded by Faena and his business partner Len Blavatnik to back artists and creative ventures. The crowd at the Rem Koolhaas-designed Faena Forum was a preview of sorts for the avalanche of art world doyennes and celebrities on the way to this Palo Alto on the Atlantic—Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, Maria Buccellati, artist Carlos Betancourt, the DJ Lady Bunny, and Lydia Fenet of Christie's, which led an auction featuring works from over 20 artists with proceeds supporting The Path of the Panther and the Reefline. No doubt they will all be back to conga line around Faena's signature Damien Hirst mammoth sculpture in less than a month.