"I realized then that art was a messy, imperfect, and deeply human practice that I wanted to pursue."

Great artists make artists. And to prove that point, over 70 of today's greatest have contributed their work in support of Children's Museum of the Arts' Emergency Arts Education Fund, establishing utterly ambitious art programs in New York City schools that need them most.

Bidding for the online auction concludes Thursday, October 19 at 12 PM EDT. Bid now. Bid often. Bid here.

Below, meet auction artist Michael Dayton Hermann.

Michael presents his award from a local children’s art exhibition

Do you have a favorite memory of making art as a child? 

Drawing as a young child was a validation of the power of imagination. 

What advice would you give to young artists who wish to pursue an art practice? 

There are no such things as mistakes. Fear is a burden that success can never bear. 

How does working with children inspire you? 

Children have a clarity and confidence that the accumulated baggage of life often obscures for adults. 

When did you first know you were going to be an artist? 

I’ve always seen myself as an artist – it is how I make sense of the world. 

Can you describe a formative experience visiting a museum or gallery? 

Seeing Mike Kelley’s work for the first time in the 1990s knocked my mythical idea of an artist off the pedestal. I realized then that art was a messy, imperfect, and deeply human practice that I wanted to pursue.

Michael Dayton Hermann

Flowers for Dayton

oil and inkjet on canvas

Bid Now