LACMA Art+Film Gala Raises Film Funds and Honors Cultural Icons
On November 4 in Los Angeles, the 12th edition of LACMA Art+Film Gala honored visionary artist Judy Baca and prolific filmmaker David Fincher. The inspired event was co-chaired by LACMA trustee Eva Chow and Leonardo DiCaprio alongside Gala Host Committee Chair and Gucci Creative Director Sabato De Sarno—highlighting the fashion maison’s continued partnership with the Art+Film Gala since 2011.
The star-studded evening raised over $5 million in order to enrich the museum’s curatorial programming in film. More than 650 artistic and cultural luminaries were in attendance, including rock legend Lenny Kravitz, who dazzled the crowd with an unforgettable performance.
A$AP Rocky, Lenny Kravitz, and Julia Garners photo by Virisa Yong/BFA, courtesy of LACMA.
Leaders in Art, Fashion, Music, and Film Unite for a Celebratory Evening
Leading figures of the international art landscape including Mary Weatherford, Ed Ruscha, Shio Kusaka, Larry Gagosian, and Jeffrey Deitch, mingled with fashion and entertainment VIPs such as Ben Affleck, Julia Garner, Lee Jung Jae, David Oyelowo, and Soo-Joo Park. Guests were greeted by artist Chris Burden’s iconic public art installation, Urban Light (2008), situated dynamically along Wilshire Boulevard, and enjoyed an open-air cocktail reception.
Judy Baca; photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images, courtesy of LACMA.
Within the striking Art+Film pavilion, which afforded a view of artist Michael Heizer’s outdoor sculpture Levitated Mass (2012), a sumptuous dinner unfolded, spearheaded by Chef Mattia Agazzi of Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura in Beverly Hills, alongside Chef Joachim Splichal and Patina Catering.
“Judy Baca and David Fincher are both powerful storytellers whose bodies of work offer vital commentary on history and human nature, and it was wonderful to recognize their achievements with all of the other artists and friends from L.A.’s creative industries,” said LACMA CEO and Wallis Annenberg Director Michael Govan. “We owe the success of the Art+Film gala, year after year, to the dedication of our co-chairs Eva Chow and Leonardo DiCaprio, and I’m deeply grateful for their ongoing support.”
Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone; photo by Billy Farrell/BFA, courtesy of LACMA.
LACMA Art+Film Honors Visionary Judy Baca
Eva Longoria presented a tribute to Dr. Baca alongside the unveiling of the short film, Baca, created by Alejandra Vasquez and Sam Osborn. A renowned pioneer of public art, Baca founded the first mural program in Los Angeles in 1974, which resulted in over 400 works by local artists, and soon developed into the Social and Public Art Resource Center. As the organization’s revered artistic director, Baca uplifts collective public art projects—including her own masterpiece The Great Wall of Los Angeles, a sweeping work in progress in the San Fernando Valley created by more than 400 young artists and their families, along with scholars and historians.
Upon her acceptance of LACMA’s honor, the artist said, “There are hundreds, probably thousands, of people with me on the stage tonight accepting with deep gratitude this acknowledgement of our work, often against all odds, to remember our stories and paint them on the walls of our communities around the nation and the world.”
David Fincher, Judy Baca, Michael Govan, Jean-Francois Palus, and Sabato de Sarno; photo by Billy Farrell/BFA, courtesy of LACMA.
A Tribute to Director David Fincher at LACMA Art+Film
Brad Pitt presented his own poetic tribute to Fincher, whose extraordinary oeuvre of films, television shows, music videos, and commercials includes internationally acclaimed classics such as Fight Club (1999), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), The Social Network (2010), Gone Girl (2014), and Mank (2020).
“I suppose I’ve never looked at directing as artistic because it required so many actual artists just to get through a given day,” said Fincher. “I am grateful for my inclusion this evening, standing next to Judy.” As dinner came to a ceremonious close, the crowd gathered outside as Jennifer Lopez introduced Kravitz, and joyful guests danced the night away to “Fly Away,” “American Woman,” and “Here to Love.”
“It was a great pleasure to bring such an amazing group of people together to honor Judy Baca and David Fincher, while supporting our beloved museum,” said Chow. “And Lenny Kravitz’s incredible performance made the evening truly one to remember. I’m so grateful to Sabato De Sarno and everyone at Gucci for their continued generosity and belief in the power of art and film.”
Lenny Kravitz; photo by Billy Farrell/BFA, courtesy of LACMA.
