Yacov Arnopolin at home with works from his collection by Ed Ruscha, Annie Morris, and Claudio Bravo.
Across our upcoming New York Modern & Contemporary Art live and online auctions, collectors will discover a selection of incredible works being offered in support of the Cancer Research Institute, many of which were donated directly to the sales by the artists.
CRI trustee Yacov Arnopolin, a collector with a lifelong passion for art, discusses the initiative and invites us to view his personal collection.
PHILLIPS: How do you approach philanthropy and what led you to choose the Cancer Research Institute (CRI)?
YACOV ARNOPOLIN: Reading the legendary investor Byron Wien’s “20 Life Lessons” ages ago, I came upon his take on philanthropy: “My approach is to try to relieve pain rather than spread joy.” I found this very poignant — it would be fun to be involved with an art charity, but there’s too much suffering in the world. When I read that 1 out of 2 men and 1 out of 3 women get diagnosed with cancer over their lifetimes, it was an easy decision to make.
Ed Ruscha, Blurred City, 2015. Modern & Contemporary Art New York.
P: Tell us about your role at CRI and how the sale of these works supports the cause?
YA: 2026 marks eleven years since I joined the Board of Trustees. Unfortunately, over that time, many relatives and friends have been diagnosed with cancer. The good news is the tally of tumors CRI’s breakthroughs can effectively combat has since increased to 30, with more to come. We naively think a single cure will let us win the “war on cancer,” but one realizes there are hundreds of tumors, each requiring its own approach.
The number of grant request submissions has doubled year-on-year due to uncertainty over government support for science. CRI’s selection process has traditionally been very competitive — less than 1 in 10 applications gets funded — so there is plenty of room to endow outstanding science if more funds were available.
P: What makes CRI’s approach so unique and effective?
YA: When the Cancer Research Institute was founded in 1953, immunotherapy was a moonshot idea, whereas now it’s the cutting edge of science. The treatment’s power lies in using the body’s immune system to prevent and eliminate cancer. It can be far less invasive than traditional chemotherapy or radiation approaches and can enhance outcomes as a combination treatment.
Over 9 million patients globally now benefit from the CRI’s research on cancer treatments. Thanks to its efficiency and focus, the Institute consistently ranks among the top 5% of charities.
Jennifer Guidi, Downvalley, 2025. Modern & Contemporary Art New York.
P: What are some of your favorite works from the selection?
YA: Ed Ruscha’s Blurred City is a jaw-dropper. Ed has been a supporter of CRI for a decade, and his generosity is to thank for many a successful scientist! The smudged “CITY” is reminiscent of the energy and movement of any dynamic metropolis — there’s an urgency about the letters, a hectic pace.
Jen Guidi’s and Joel Mesler’s works on paper also strike a chord. The magnetism of Jen’s pointillist composition is compounded by the almost tangible warmth of the sun. And Joel’s ebullient message “TO JOY” is a sentiment I have witnessed when interacting with so many cancer survivors helped by CRI.
Sayre Gomez is another exciting contemporary artist, with a stellar show currently on view in LA. I love the hyperrealism and the focus on everyday objects and sites. Last but not least, I am in awe of Isabella Ducrot’s erudition and the multitude of references in her works. Now in her tenth decade, Ducrot used her extensive travels to create a unique voice influenced by the world of textiles.
Joel Mesler, To Joy, 2025. Modern & Contemporary Art: Online Auction, New York.
P: What inspired you to collect art?
YA: Growing up in the Soviet Union, my dad would take me to open-air art fairs and bazaars that came to life under perestroika. It wasn’t easy to get those paintings into the US when we immigrated, but I was lucky to grow up with an eclectic mix of art on the walls. Once in America, as a chubby kid who couldn’t play any sports, I would attend weekend art history classes at the University of Pittsburgh. It was a dozen grandmas plus myself, but it led to a lifelong fascination with everything from Caravaggio to Rococo to Francis Bacon.
P: With decades of experience in finance, we’re curious if investment value plays into how you collect?
YA: It doesn’t. Inevitably, one makes the mistake along the way of “buying with the ears, not the eyes” — i.e., listening to tips on the next hot artist, rather than what actually resonates. In the end, art is about what you respond to and want to live with; all the speculation ends up in storage.
An art advisor once said a collector should accumulate “eye mileage.” It’s a great concept, and every museum or gallery visit is a chance to learn and train one’s eye.
Wolfgang Tillmans, Chrysanthemum, 2006. Modern & Contemporary Art: Online Auction, New York.
P: What are your favorite works to live with?
YA: I can never get enough of Ed Ruscha’s MEDICAL MARTINI — half the fun was coming up with the text!
With revolutionary technology in every phone, we all think we are 21st century Arbuses and Avedons — but there’s still so much technique in photography, and to me, Wolfgang Tillmans is second to none.
Lucian Freud's Woman with an Arm Tattoo hangs in Arnopolin’s sitting room.
Finally, Lucian Freud’s Woman with an Arm Tattoo print is mesmerizing. There’s a tranquility but also vulnerability about a sleeping person. And as a Cancer Research Institute board member, I am confronted with our vulnerability as humans all too often.
Discover more from Art for Cancer: Property Sold to Benefit the Cancer Research Institute >