The New York Academy of Art, the graduate art school in New York’s Tribeca, is pleased to announce that its annual Take Home a Nude art auction and party will honor the life and enduring legacy of the late artist, writer, and editor, Walter Robinson (1950-2025). The event will take place on December 15, 2025, at Phillips, 432 Park Avenue, New York City. The celebration will culminate with an intimate dinner at the Metropolitan Club. Proceeds from Take Home a Nude supports the Academy’s public programming and scholarship funds, ensuring access to its rigorous fine arts education.
Walter Robinson was a prolific artist, influential critic, and a central figure in New York’s art community for over five decades. His legacy as a painter, writer, and editor has inspired generations, and his vision continues to shape the landscape of contemporary art. A pioneering member of “The Pictures Generation”, he played a pivotal role as a neo-pop artist with a distinctive style inspired by lurid novels. Paul R. Provost, Academy President, remarks “Walter was a beloved figure in the art world whose extraordinary talent, sharp wit, and generous spirit touched countless lives. His presence left a lasting impression on everyone fortunate enough to know him. The Academy has been deeply grateful for his friendship and support over so many years, and we are honored to celebrate his legacy.” A special tribute will recognize Robinson’s contributions to the Academy and the wider art world.
The evening will feature a festive cocktail party, followed by both live and silent auctions of exceptional works of art. Participating artists range from Academy faculty, students and alums, to supports from the emerging to the blue chip, including Mike Bidlo, Deborah Kass, Marilyn Minter, Richard Prince, David Salle, Kate Shepherd, and Kiki Smith. Artworks for auction can be viewed and bid on starting December 9, 2025.
Tickets for the event and dinner are available at http://www.nyaa.edu/nude/. The Academy expresses its gratitude to the artists, supporters, and sponsors who make this celebration of creativity and community possible.
About the New York Academy of Art
Founded in 1982 by artists, scholars, and patrons including Andy Warhol, the New York Academy of Art is an educational and cultural institution dedicated to rigorous technical training in the fine arts combined with active critical discourse. Through exhibitions, lectures, and ambitious educational programs, the Academy serves as a creative and intellectual hub for artists committed to highly skilled, conceptually aware figurative and representational art.
About Walter Robinson
Walter Rossiter Robinson III (July 18, 1950 – February 9, 2025) was an American painter, publisher, art curator, and art writer, based in New York City. He was a Neo-pop painter, and a member of the 1980s Pictures Generation. Robinson was the subject of the 632-page book A Kiss Before Dying: Walter Robinson – A Painter of Pictures and Arbiter of Critical Pleasures by Richard Milazzo published in 2021. Robinson debuted his distinctive work in the early 1980’s at Metro Pictures. A founding member and onetime president of Collaborative Projects (COLAB), participated in many of its iconic exhibitions, including The Times Square Show. He co-founded the legendary contemporary art publication Art-Rite and was later a longtime editor and writer for Art in America, among other publications. Robinson also helped establish Printed Matter, Inc., the non-profit bookstore and artists' organization, alongside figures such as Sol Lewitt and Pat Steir. Walter was the founding Editor-in-Chief of Artnet Magazine, where over his 16-year tenure he pioneered the online presence of art writing. In recent years, he experienced a painting renaissance, presenting critically acclaimed shows around the world, including at Illinois State University, Moore College of Art, Jeffrey Deitch Gallery, and Vito Schnabel Gallery, among others.
For tickets of information about Take Home a Nude 2025, please contact than@nyaa.edu or visit http://www.nyaa.edu/nude/.
