Our first-ever Art Auction Fundraiser is entering its final stretch. Since June 6, works generously donated by members of our Sangha community have transformed the zendo into a living exhibition — a shared space for contemplation, conversation, and connection. If you haven’t yet visited in person or browsed the online catalog, there’s still time to explore the collection and place your bids on GalaBid before bidding closes.

This year’s auction was inspired in part by Kikuko Morimoto, whose work — including July Blue (pictured above) — helped plant the seed for BZC sangha member and auction organizer Matthew Menzies, that grew into this fundraiser. Kikuko began practicing with the BZC sangha in 2011, later serving as fukuten (assistant to the tenzo), co-tenzo (head of kitchen), was lay-ordained in 2017 and underwent priest training at Ancestral Heart Zen Monastery, Sanshin Zen Community, and Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. It’s our joy to welcome her back to BZC for this celebration!

Join us for the Final Auction Celebration on Saturday, July 11, 1:00–3:30 PM, at Boundless Mind Temple (326 Clinton Street, Brooklyn). The afternoon brings together in-person and online bidders for one last chance to view or take home a piece from the show, alongside an artist panel, food, light refreshments, and community.

At 1:30 PM, don’t miss a special artist panel discussion. The panel opens with Kikuko Morimoto, sharing her journey as an artist and the story behind the inspiration for this auction, before we hear from fellow panelists Jane Adhi and Elizabeth Englander:

Kikuko Morimoto, whose luminous, meditative abstractions grow out of a career that spans painting, film, and fine art — from early training in Japan and Columbia’s Graduate Film program to two decades showing her work in New York, including exhibitions at the Art Students League, NYIAC, and Artist’s Proof Gallery, and a solo show at Yard, New York.

Jane Adhi, a Kenyan-American oil painter with growing roots in Harlem. Her work centers on the sacredness of setting the table. Her mix of Lou and English invites collectors to a table set to make room for her dyadic identities. As a self-taught artist with a background in engineering, Adhi applies an intentional, analytical approach to mundane objects, blending technical precision with independent artistic exploration.

Elizabeth Englander, a member of BZC’s Sangha and a Brooklyn-based painter who received her BFA from The Rhode Island School of Design and MFA from Hunter College. Elizabeth’s work has been shown at institutions and galleries including the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Theta, and House of Gaga.

Whether you’re a longtime Sangha member or bringing a friend who’s never set foot in the zendo, this is a warm, welcoming way to spend a Saturday afternoon — and every bid supports BZC’s community and practice.

We’ll be serving lunch at this event, so please register by July 9, 11:59 PM ET — registration is free and helps us know how many people to plan food for, as well as send the Zoom link to remote guests.

This exhibition was made possible by the generosity of our artists: Jane Adhi, Owen Bell, Elizabeth Englander, Christina Goldschmidt, Matthew Menzies, Kikuko Morimoto, Caia Petrov, Yupin Pramotepipop, Loretta Staples, Lauren Thompson, Jessica Weiss, and The Kitchen Table Collective of May 2026 — a group made up of BZC members Heidi Brant, Sara Lamm, and Vipassana Vijayarangan, along with their friends and family. With gratitude to Matthew Menzies for organizing this wonderful fundraiser!