Christie’s to Host Auction in Support of Ocean Health With Works Donated by More Than 20 Leading Artists

Christie’s is partnering with U.K.-based ocean protection charity Blue Marine Foundation to raise funds through a sale of works by leading contemporary artists during an October week of major London sales.

“Blue: Art for the Ocean” will include works from more than 20 artists, including Serbian performance artist Marina Abramović, Japanese painter Yoshitomo Nara, English artist Lydia Blakeley, English potter and author Edmund de Waal, and German painter Jonas Burgert.

Christie’s announced the first three pieces to be auctioned, including a photograph of Abramović from a May 2024 filming of a separate project that shows the artist on the shores of Fire Island, N.Y.

“My Performance for the Oceans artwork for the auction blends my artistic vision with environmental consciousness,” Abramović said in a news release. The image is one of three from the film that Christie’s will sell for between £50,000 and £70,000 (US$64,012 and US$89,617), according to Blue Marine, citing the Sunday Times of London.

The other two pieces are an underwater painting by Blakeley titled The Hunters and an illustration by Nara titled Walk On .

The foundation works toward ocean health by putting a spotlight on overfishing and efforts to protect critical marine ecosystems around the world.

Christie’s expects to announce a full lineup of lots and price estimates in the coming weeks, according to a company spokesperson. The auction will be held during Christie’s annual Frieze Week sales of 20th- and 21st-century art.

Starbucks is making another major leadership change just one week after new CEO Brian Niccol started his job.

Michael Conway, the 58-year-old coffee chain’s head of North America, will be retiring at the end of November, according to a Monday filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The decision came only six months after Conway took on the job. His position won’t be filled. Instead, the company plans to seek candidates for a new role in charge of Starbucks’ global branding.

The chief brand officer role will have responsibilities across product, marketing, digital, customer insights, creative and store concepts.

“Recognizing the unmatched capabilities of the Starbucks team and seeing the energy and enthusiasm for Brian’s early vision, I could not think of a better time to begin my transition towards retirement,” wrote Conway in a statement.

Conway has been at Starbucks for more than a decade, and was promoted to his current job—a newly created role—back in March, as part of the company’s structural leadership change under former CEO Laxman Narasimhan.

The coffee giant has been struggling with weaker sales in recent quarters, as it faces not only macroeconomic headwinds, but also operational, branding, and product development challenges.

Narasimhan was taking many moves to turn around the business, but faced increasing pressure from the board, shareholders, and activist investors.

One month ago, Starbucks ousted Narasimhan and appointed Brian Niccol, the former CEO at Chipotle, as its top executive. The stock has since jumped 20% in a show of faith for Niccol, who started at Starbucks last week.

When he was at Chipotle, Niccol made a few executive hires that were key to the company’s turnaround.