The stars shone brightly, despite the cloudy sky, as celebrities and art enthusiasts gathered for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's (LACMA) 13th Art + Film Gala. The event, chaired by Leonardo DiCaprio and LACMA trustee Eva Chow, honored artist Simone Leigh and filmmaker Baz Luhrmann. Michael Govan, LACMA's Chief Executive, revealed that the event raised a record-breaking $6. 4 million.
Guests like Kim Kardashian, Blake Lively, and Viola Davis enjoyed a exquisite dinner crafted by chef David Shim from Cote, the only Michelin-starred Korean steakhouse in the country. The menu included delights like makgeolli jeung-pyeon, japchae, and grand cru galbi-jjim. Govan noted the rare opportunity to celebrate an artist during a retrospective of their work, as was the case with Leigh. Her exhibit spanned two decades, showcasing her talent in ceramic, bronze, video, and installation art, in collaboration with the California African American Museum.
Before dinner, guests mingled and enjoyed cocktails and small bites. Govan shared the event's unique goal of blending different creative worlds together. This allowed attendees to meet new people and experience unfamiliar aspects of the arts. Among the guests were the Finley brothers, Kohshin and Delfin, sons of the renowned Gangsta Gardener, Ron Finley. Their family was praised as one of the most creative in Los Angeles.
As the evening progressed, the dark outline of the new Peter Zumthor-designed David Geffen Galleries loomed in the background. Govan reminded everyone that the night belonged to Leigh and Luhrmann, not DiCaprio, who kept a low profile with a bodyguard. Leigh, introduced by Eva Chow and Bryan Stevenson, accepted her honor on behalf of all Black women who are uniquely creative, just like herself.
