Moca Gala 2016
Photo Credit: Stefanie Keenan
Photo Credit: Donato Sardella
Photo Credit: Stefanie Keenan
Photo Credit: Donato Sardella
Photo Credit: Donato Sardella
Photo Credit: Stefanie Keenan
Photo Credit: Stefanie Keenan
Photo Credit: Donato Sardella
Photo Credit: Donato Sardella
Photo Credit: Donato Sardella
Photo Credit: Donato Sardella
Photo Credit: Donato Sardella
Photo Credit: Donato Sardella
Art world enthusiasts, philanthropists and famous faces converged at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA in Downtown Los Angeles for the 37th annual MOCA Gala on Saturday, May 14. The spectacular evening, which raised $3 million towards the museum’s programming, honored Los Angeles-based artist Ed Ruscha, whose works reflecting the shifting emblems of American life have made him one of the most influential artists of today. Over 700 guests joined gala co-chairs and board co-chairs, Lilly Tartikoff Karatz, Maurice Marciano and MOCA Director Philippe Vergne, including conceptual artist John Baldessari, photographer Catherine Opie and actors Owen Wilson, Elizabeth Olsen, James Marsden and Patricia Arquette. The event showcased Don’t Look Back: The 1990s at MOCA, an exhibition of large-scale works created in the 1990s from the permanent collection, as well as Balloon Dog (Magenta) and Balloon Dog (Yellow), a limited-edition piece by Jeff Koons produced by French porcelain maker Bernardaud, sold exclusively through MOCA. For dinner, guests made their way into a dramatically lit, fiber optic-adorned tent reflective of Ruscha’s acclaimed series of City Lights paintings. Inside the venue, attendees were delighted with a tribute film honoring the contemporary artist and his legacy, which was narrated by Wilson, Ruscha’s longtime friend. After the multi-course meal provided by Wolfgang Puck, Robin Thicke took the stage and got the crowd on their feet followed by a DJ set by Balthazar Getty that went late into the night.
