Abell Auction Co. will present “The Glorya Kaufman Collection: Building Los Angeles” on July 14, offering a distinctive collection of Art Deco and Josef Hoffman furnishings, a rare three-color lithograph by Ed Ruscha, and an assortment of personally created artworks and recognition awards from the Beverly Hills residence of one of Los Angeles’ most influential arts patrons. Live online bidding will begin at 9 a.m. PDT.
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This signed and numbered three-color lithograph by Ed Ruscha is among the treasured pieces from the Beverly Hills estate of legendary arts philanthropist Glorya Kaufman to be offered at Abell Auction Co.’s live online sale on July 14. www.abell.com
Kaufman, who died in 2025 at age 95, was widely recognized for her far-reaching commitment to dance, education and civic life. Through major gifts to cultural, academic and health-focused organizations, she helped expand opportunities for performers, students and young people while bringing world-class dance and arts programming to Los Angeles and beyond.
Featuring nearly 300 lots, the auction offers a rare look inside Kaufman’s personal world and treasured collections inspired by her love of dance and the arts. Highlights include:
- Ed Ruscha “Music”: Signed, dated and numbered three-color lithograph on Arches paper
- Josef Hoffmann furniture: Fledermaus end table, three Fledermaus chairs and Art Nouveau bench
- Louis Icart Coursing III etching and aquatint: Signed, blind stamped and framed
- Massimiliano Schiavon Murano glass vase: Signed, dated and numbered
- Erte (Romain de Tirtoff) “Daydreams”: Cold-painted, signed and dated bronze sculpture
- Ruth Bloch bronze figural menorah: Mounted to marble base and signed in casting
- Jane Sauer Two Works: Signed waxed linen fiber sculptures
- Other notable items: Art Deco pedestal desk with metal drawer handles and base, Seeburg Select-O-Matic 100 Jukebox and Spanish sterling articulated fish sculpture
Kaufman had a remarkable eye for beauty, movement and creative expression,” said Abell Auction Co. Director of Appraisals and Trust Services Max Zellman. “This sale invites collectors and admirers into the private world of a legendary philanthropist of the arts whose impact can still be felt across the city’s stages, classrooms and neighborhoods.”
Born in Detroit, Kaufman developed an early love of dance and music that would guide much of her lifelong advocacy for the performing arts and improving communities. In 1954, she married Donald Bruce Kaufman, the builder and entrepreneur who partnered with Eli Broad in 1957 to co-found Kaufman & Broad, now known as KB Home. After her husband’s death in 1983, she turned more deeply toward philanthropy, establishing the Glorya Kaufman Foundation and supporting projects that reflected her belief in the power of the arts to educate, heal and bring people together.
Her name became closely associated with some of Southern California’s most important dance and cultural institutions. Her historic $20 million gift established Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center, helping bring major national and international dance companies to local audiences. At USC, her support created and endowed the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance and its landmark home, the Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center. At UCLA, she funded the restoration of the former Women’s Gym, now known as Glorya Kaufman Hall.
Kaufman’s generosity also reached well beyond the stage. She advanced arts education for young people in underserved communities through the nonprofit Inner-City Arts, helped create performing arts spaces and community programs at Vista Del Mar Child and Family Services, and funded health and vision-care initiatives connected to Venice Family Clinic and UCLA’s Jules Stein Eye Institute. Her support also helped establish the Glorya Kaufman Community Center at The Wende Museum in Culver City, reflecting a broader commitment to access, learning and shared cultural experience.
Auction Date & Time
July 14, with live online bidding starting at 9 a.m. PDT
Preview Exhibition
July 8 to 10, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Abell Auction Co.’s Los Angeles gallery located at 6620 Telegraph Road, 90040.
Registration & Bidding
Interested buyers are invited to register in advance and explore auction items at www.abell.com. Buyers may place absentee bids with Abell directly, bid by telephone or bid online at www.abell.com, LiveAuctioneers.com or Invaluable.com. For more information, call 310.858.3073 or visit www.abell.com to view a complete catalog. Connect with us: @abellauctionco for Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and X
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Media Contact
Stacy Geere, 661.253.1059 or stacy@thegeeregroup.com
