Frank Gehry and Theaster Gates Earn “Legend” Status at Star-Studded MOCA Gala

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Last Saturday evening, more than 600 influential figures from the realms of entertainment, arts, and charitable giving gathered at The Geffen Contemporary for the 2025 MOCA Gala. This glamorous event managed to collect a substantial $3.1 million to support Los Angeles’ Museum of Contemporary Art.

A diverse array of distinguished individuals and performers graced the event, such as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Mayor Karen Bass, filmmaker Ava DuVernay, actresses Jane Fonda and Sarah Paulson, television personality Candy Spelling, actress Lisa Edelstein, comedian David Alan Grier, artists Barbara Kruger, Catherine Opie, Tim Disney, Julie Wainwright, philanthropists Edythe Broad, Jeffery Dietch, museum director Michael Govan, and Nadya Tolokonnikova from the band Pussy Riot.

Attending an incredible event, sponsored in part by Bvlgari, where I marveled at stunning jewels during happy hour. This gala was all about honoring the first-ever MOCA Legends – Theaster Gates, Frank Gehry, and Wendy Schmidt. Johanna Burton, head of MOCA, shared that these new awards are to celebrate individuals who’ve penned the tales of our museum’s past, present, and future. As a gamer, I felt proud to be part of such an inspiring gathering!

Burton stated during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter prior to the event, ‘This is a platform for honoring the institution we’re all part of, but also for acknowledging and appreciating the individuals who contribute to our work daily.’

The significance of unity among various disciplines as a means of standing against oppression was a common focus during the entire event.

MOCA, as Burton notes, has consistently challenged the boundaries of art creation, questioning who gets to define it and what it should look like. Initially, it was a vibrant, multi-disciplinary platform for experimentation and taking calculated risks. And I believe we’re still embracing and nurturing that spirit today.

Guests adorned in shimmering attire socialized during the cocktail hour, snapping selfies against grand mirrored art installations within the MOCA Geffen’s ongoing exhibition Olafur Eliasson: OPEN. Afterward, they were escorted into the gala by the rhythmic beats of the TAIKOPROJECT Japanese drum group.

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Guests in dazzling outfits mingled during cocktail hour and posed for selfies beside monumental mirrored sculptures within the current exhibition Olafur Eliasson: OPEN at MOCA Geffen. The gala began with a drum roll, as the TAIKOPROJECT Japanese ensemble led the way.

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During cocktail hour, guests bedecked in glittering attire intermingled and captured selfies against impressive mirrored artworks within the MOCA Geffen’s current showcase Olafur Eliasson: OPEN. As the gala commenced, the TAIKOPROJECT Japanese drum group signaled the start with their rhythmic beats.

Within the event space designed by Frank Gehry, adorned with colorful spheres of light and dark table arrangements, attendees savored their dinner as the proceedings commenced. The evening was launched by MOCA board chair Maria Seferian, who rallied a call to arms for the arts.

Museums are more than just accumulations of items; they symbolize creativity, potential, and freedom at their core. What Seferian meant is that we require this freedom now – the liberty to envision and to act beyond the boundaries imposed by our circumstances. Art serves as a powerful tool, altering our perception and comprehension of past, present, or future events. It’s a medium that bridges emotions with knowledge, stimulating action, provoking change, questioning established norms, and fostering self-expression.

Johanna Burton shared similar thoughts, stating, “I’ve always held the strong conviction that culture plays a vital role in a thriving community.” She continued, “And there is no more opportune moment to fully grasp and embody this concept.

Ava DuVernay recently bestowed the inaugural MOCA Legends Award upon multifaceted artist Theaster Gates, who had his initial major solo exhibition on the West Coast at MOCA back in 2001. This esteemed figure is often referred to as a contemporary Renaissance man due to his diverse artistic pursuits that encompass sculpture, conceptual art, music, live performances, land art, and even space theory. These various disciplines serve as tools for him to foster community.

Man, I’ve got to hand it to Theaster Gates – he’s the whole orchestra! He’s the vocalist, reaching out to something timeless. He’s the bassist, keeping the rhythm steady, anchoring everything. He’s the drummer, setting the pace, driving the tempo. He’s the guitarist, shaping sounds we’ve never heard before. And he’s the saxophonist, swirling through the heart of it all, both melancholic and joyful at once.” (As a gamer) “He’s the master conductor, orchestrating an epic symphony with every note, every beat, every sound.

DuVernay commended Gates for his work in preserving and elevating Black history and culture. She described him as not only a builder of physical structures, but also a creator of legacies, spaces for joy and resistance, worship, imagination, and reinvention. Essentially, he serves as a connection between the past and the future of the Black community, with Theaster representing that transition period.

Gates humbly received his recognition, stressing the value of nurturing creativity. He expressed, ‘The goal is to utilize your abilities in a way that amplifies them, striving tirelessly to instill motivation by cultivating and witnessing the growth of those talents.’

He expressed his concern about the untapped potential in the black and brown artists within his community, saying that they’re overlooked instead of being invested in. He suggested a thought experiment – imagining if these talents could achieve more than they currently are. When the queen returns home, she’ll find wonderful creations. My role is to foster talent, to be talented myself, and to encourage its multiplication. Ultimately, I just wish for the world to acknowledge my efforts with ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. Well done.’

Jane Fonda, as lively and humorous as ever, presented the next recipient of the MOCA Legends Award, philanthropist and investor Wendy Schmidt. Over the years, Schmidt has been instrumental in establishing numerous non-profit organizations that collaborate with communities to foster healthy oceans, renewable energy sources, sustainable food systems, and human rights. Together with her husband, ex-CEO of Google, Eric Schmidt, she established the MOCA Wendy and Eric Schmidt Environment and Art Prize, an award recognizing and financially supporting artists whose work tackles the important intersections between art, design, conservation efforts, sustainability, and environmental justice.

Fonda stated that Schmidt is a keen solver of puzzles. It’s not surprising that she obtained Jigsaw Productions earlier this year. She has the ability to understand connections, she can see the overall picture, and she envisions a clearer world compared to others who only perceive chaos.

Fonda also took a playful jab at her former spouse by saying: “She’s an accomplished sailor who won the world’s largest sailing race, making her both the first woman and the first American to do so. Despite being small in stature, she has successfully captained massive ships with exclusively male crews, demonstrating focus, determination, and tenacity. She led these vessels to victory. So, I say, Ted Turner, take that as a challenge!

Stepping up onto the stage, Schmidt quipped, “Indeed, it’s both an honor and a test to follow in the footsteps of Jane Fonda, who was here just moments ago.

Schmidt delivered an inspiring, heartfelt talk advocating for teamwork across various fields to better humanity. He emphasized that merging art and science offers a more profound, complex, and optimistic perspective on the world and its problems. This is the reason our philanthropy bridges disciplines, focusing on the border areas where they meet, as this is where transformations occur.

I view science and art as two complementary aspects of the same whole; they both rely on a fundamental basis. The inherent human capacity for free thought, creativity, and imagination is essential to our nature and to a thriving society. Therefore, discussions about restrictive ideologies in our nation feel discordant to me. If you try to stifle scientific progress, you’ll also silence artistic voices. Fortunately, it’s challenging to achieve this in reality because humans are innately curious and enjoy sharing knowledge. We’re also blessed with imagination, and we will find ways to express it. Just as water finds a way to flow, human curiosity and creative expression will always find a path.

As a devoted admirer, I must say that one of the most heartwarming moments during the event was witnessing Frank Gehry receive the MOCA Legends Award – the third and final time he’s been honored for his exceptional work. In my opinion, Gehry is like a magician who transforms the way we perceive art, music, and education. As Nancy Pelosi so eloquently put it, “Frank Gehry is a magician because with his architecture, he allows us to experience art differently, to listen to music differently, and to grasp education in new ways.” He has this extraordinary ability to take the ordinary and make it clear and comprehensible.

Pelosi additionally emphasized the concept of unity. “Architecture is more than just construction; it’s an artistic expression. This art is for the people, created with their input and designed to cater to them. It reflects the culture, fosters community, and encourages communication.

In a quiet tone, the 96-year-old Gehry expressed profound feelings from his seat, echoing strongly within the room. “MOCA holds significant value for me,” he said, discussing the influence of artists on both his personal life and architectural work during his early career. “Artists welcomed me into their circle – it was a place I longed to be, and they broadened my perspective, revealing an entirely new world to me.

The evening culminated in an electrifying show by Grammy-nominated artist Tierra Whack. As the music played, donors, artists, and organizers abandoned their seats to dance and socialize, forming a vibrant collective eager to prosper amidst the unpredictable times ahead.

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2025-06-04 22:25