A luxe department store isn't the usual venue for a contemporary-art show, but through Saturday Neiman-Marcus is a must-see museum featuring work by international and local art stars.

The 36 pieces are for sale, as part of The Contemporary Museum's annual Contemporarities auction and exhibition to benefit the museum's exhibition and education programs.

The silent auction will be held at the museum's black-tie gala, Contempo 2006, on Saturday at Neiman-Marcus, but buyers don't need to attend to bid. Interested buyers can download a registration form at www.tcmhi.org.

Highlights: Richard Misrach's untitled giant photograph from his "On the Beach" series, part of which he took from an apartment overlooking Kaimana Beach and the oil painting "Interior 1 (Pur)," a moody glimpse inside a refrigerator by Stephen Niles of Kailua.