Kate Nash photographed by Pay Graham

The Museum of Modern Art will host a benefit party with live music and DJs, celebrating the opening of  The 2011 Armory Show on Wednesday, March 2, 2011, from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. The Armory Show, the top international art fair held annually in New York City, is devoted to showcasing the most important artworks of the 20th and 21st centuries. Funds raised at the event will benefit MoMA and MoMA PS1.

The acclaimed singer-songwriter Kate Nash will perform live in MoMA’s Agnes Gund Garden Lobby.  Nash’s most recent album, My Best Friend Is You (Geffen), was released in May 2010 to critical acclaim, and included the chart-hit “Do-Wah-Doo.” Justin Miller (DFA Records) and Will Robbins will DJ the event.

The evening reception, along with the daytime Early Access Preview at Piers 92 and 94, benefits exhibition programming for

The Museum of Modern Art and MoMA PS1.  The Armory Show Preview Party is generously supported by INTERMIX. Special thanks to Flavorpill.

In its thirteen years, The Armory Show, with The Armory Show-Modern, has become an international institution, combining a selection of the world’s leading galleries with an exceptional program of art events and exhibitions throughout New York City during Armory Arts Week. This year The Armory Show is presenting its second edition of Armory Focus, the invitation-only component of the fair. Armory Focus: Latin America features the pick of galleries from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela.

The relationship between The Armory Show and MoMA stems back to 2001, the year in which the fair dedicated its opening day to the Museum and in which the Pat Hearn Acquisition Fund at The Museum of Modern Art was founded.

Tickets for the benefit start at $100. Tickets may be purchased by visiting www.moma.org/armoryshow2011, calling MoMA’s Department of Special Programming and Events  at 212.708.9680, or e-mailing specialevents@moma.org.

The 2011 Armory Show is open to the public from March 3 to March 6. Hours are noon to 8 p.m. on Thursday through Saturday, and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $30 per day and the fair is located on Piers 92 and 94, Twelfth Avenue at 55th Street in New York City.

Read more from Martha at her blog, Lela Luxe.

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