Two original Beauford Delaney artworks to be auctioned during Beck-Met Gala
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — On Monday, two pieces of artwork created by historic Knoxville artist Beauford Delaney will be up for auction to benefit the Beck Cultural Exchange Center
The Beck-Met Gala is being held on Monday, March 5 in honor of the Beck Cultural Exchange Center's 50th anniversary. The ticketed event will be at 5:30 p.m. at the Grande on Clinton Highway. During the event, there will be a live auction featuring two original Beauford Delaney artworks, custom-framed for the gala.
Dog rescued during animal cruelty case in Cumberland County in need of a new home
Beauford Delaney is one of the few African-American painters associated with abstract expressionism, a style featured in one of the artworks that will be up for auction, according to the Associated Press. In 2023, one of Delaney's original artworks, Pastel Portrait of a Man, sold for $48,000 at auction.
Both pieces that will be auctioned at the gala are undated and unsigned.
The first piece is an untitled portrait, crafted with pastel on paper. The artwork depicts a man in a suit against a saturated red and blue background. While the piece is roughly 25 inches by 19 inches, the Beck Cultural Exchange Center noted that the artwork has some fraying along the upper edge and left corners. The piece features a similar abstract expressionism style as Delaney's Pastel Portrait of a Man.
The second piece of artwork is an Afrique lithograph, which features an abstract design of vibrant pink, blue and green colors. The piece also measures approximately 25 inches by 19 inches. Although the artwork is undated, the Studio Museum in Harlem lists a piece by Delaney that is similar in size, style and color dated to 1963 on its website.
While guests are encouraged to attend the live auction, there is also an option for guests to complete absentee bids online. The absentee bids will close at 3 p.m. on the day of the auction. Tickets to the Beck-Met Gala, priced at $100, can be purchased at the Beck Cultural Exchange Center's website, which is also where absentee bids can be placed.
'Shooting Hunger' uses sporting clays to raise money for Tennessee food banks
'This auction is a key component of the evening, highlighting the significance of art and culture within our community. This is a unique opportunity to acquire a distinctive piece of history while contributing to the ongoing support of Beck,' the Beck Cultural Exchange Center wrote.
In addition to having an extensive art collection that includes the works of Beauford Delaney, Beck Cultural Exchange Center is working to restore the ancestral home of Beauford and Joseph Delaney that will one day become the Delaney Museum at Beck. The brothers, who were born in the early 1900's, are considered among the greatest artists of the 20th century.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
TikTok star Khaby Lame leaves US after being detained by immigration officials
Khaby Lame, considered the most popular TikTok star in the world, has left the US after being detained by immigration officials. The influencer was detained in Las Vegas on Friday for allegedly staying in the country after his visa expired. He then voluntarily departed, but officials did not say which day he left. Lame is one of hundreds of people caught in US President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, which includes cross-country raids and an increasing number of deportations, and which has also sparked days of protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Lame has not publicly commented on his voluntary departure, leaving fans guessing about when he left and where he is now. ICE has said he arrived in the US on 30 April and then overstayed his visa. Officials said he was released the same day he was detained and subsequently left the country. A voluntary departure allows people who are facing removal from the US to avoid having a deportation order on their immigration record. Deportation orders can prevent immigrants from being allowed back into the US for up to a decade. The 25-year-old Senegalese-Italian influencer, who has 162.3 million TikTok followers, became popular during the pandemic for his silent videos and signature facial expressions. Who has been arrested by ICE under Trump? "It's my face and my expressions which make people laugh," Lame told The New York Times in 2021, adding that his reactions speak "a global language". As an Italian citizen, he is allowed to travel to the US for business or tourism for up to 90 days without a visa. Lame attended the Met Gala in May. Otherwise, it is unclear what he was doing while in the US. His deportation has made headlines as he is one of the more high-profile people to be deported in Trump's latest surge to cut illegal immigration into the country. Some 51,000 undocumented migrants were in Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention as of early June - the highest on record since September 2019.
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Springsteen's Berlin concert echoes with history and a stark warning
BERLIN (AP) — Veteran rock star Bruce Springsteen, a high-profile critic of President Donald Trump, slammed the U.S. administration as 'corrupt, incompetent and treasonous' during a concert Wednesday in Berlin. He was addressing tens of thousands of fans at a stadium built for the 1936 Olympic Games that still bears the scars of World War II and contains relics from the country's dark Nazi past. 'Tonight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experiment to rise with us, raise your voices, stand with us against authoritarianism, and let freedom reign,' he said. Springsteen, long a political opponent of the president, has made increasingly pointed and contentious public statements in recent concerts. He denounced Trump's politics during a concert last month in Manchester, calling him an 'unfit president' leading a 'rogue government' of people who have 'no concern or idea for what it means to be deeply American.' Springsteen is no stranger to Berlin. In July 1988, he became one of the first Western musicians to perform in East Germany, performing to a ravenous crowd of 160,000 East Germans yearning for American rock 'n' roll and the freedom it represented to the youth living under the crumbling communist regime. An Associated Press news story from that period says 'fireworks steaked through the sky' and hundreds of people in the audience waved handmade American flags as they sang along to 'Born in the USA.' Almost four decades later, Springsteen issued a stark warning: 'The America that I love, the America that I've sung to you about, that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years, is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration."
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Social Rundown: Kim Chi Eats the World and TikTok star detained
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — Welcome back to the Social Rundown, where you can learn about the online trends happening globally and in Texoma, too! Want to get the latest tea or news on what's trending on social media? Tune in daily! Kim Chi Eats the World The South Korean-American makeup mogul and drag racer hopes to 'make you more open-minded' as she shares 75 recipes for various international foods in her was inspired to create this after experiencing the culture shock of cafeteria food during her school years. The cookbook will be available for purchase on October 21 for $35 (hardcover) and $16.99 (ebook). TikTok star detained Racking up more than 163 million followers on TikTok, Senegalese-Italian social media star Khaby Lame has returned home after being detained in Las Vegas. Lame is known for his reactions to 'overly complicated' life hack videos, where his facial expressions and hand gestures convey it all. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.