Visual AIDS will hold the 18th edition of its Postcards From the Edge fundraiser at New York’s Sikkema Jenkins & Co. from January 29–31, 2016. The annual benefit sells postcard-sized artwork from contemporary artists, both established and emerging, for $85 each.

Since being established in 1998, Postcards From the Edge has raised over $800,000, selling more than 18,000 fine art postcards to benefit the organization’s efforts to promote AIDS awareness and to support artists living with HIV.

Postcards from the Edge.
Photo: Simon Friot.

Participating artists are free to work in the medium of their choice, be it painting, drawing, photography, collage, or mixed media. The only restrictions are that all the work must be original, and measure four by six inches. The works are all displayed anonymously, and buyers don’t learn the artist’s identity until after the sale is made.

Visual AIDS is currently holding an open call for submissions to the 2016 event, and is expecting upwards of 1,500 donations before the December 7 postmark deadline.

For this year’s edition, Ed Ruscha, Hans Haacke, Paul Chan, Robert Longo, Robert Gober, Kiki Smith, Marilyn Minter, and Catherine Opie were among those to donate their work to the event. Over the years, participants have included Louise Bourgeois, Cindy Sherman, Kara Walker, Sol LeWitt, Barbara Kruger, and Yoko Ono.

Photo: courtesy VisualAids.org.

No matter the artist, all works are a flat $85, although the event is buy four, get one free. On the final day of the benefit, it will be buy two, get one free.

Art lovers are known to line up hours in advance to snag an original work from an acclaimed artist. The Friday night preview party will take place on January 29 from 6:00–8:00 p.m. Attendees get two raffle tickets for the chance to buy their first choice artwork, and can bid for VIP passes to cut the line on Saturday morning.

The 18th annual Postcards From the Edge will be held January 29–31, 2016 at Sikkema Jenkins & Co., 530 W. 22nd Street, New York.