Last weekend we kicked off our 50th Anniversary celebrations with a fundraising gala, sponsored by Christie’s, which drew 750 supporters and raised $5 million for the museum, funds from which will benefit LACMA’s programming and art acquisitions. Along with the debut of 50 for 50: Gifts on the Occasion of LACMA’s Anniversary and a performance by Seal, the highlight of the night was a short film by Doug Pray that captured our first fifty years in just 10 minutes. (Pray is also the director behind the feature-length documentary Levitated Mass). With appearances from a who’s who of past and present LA artists, curators, actors, civic leaders, and donors, the film encapsulates how far LACMA has come in a short amount of time as well as how far we still intend to go.
50 for 50, sponsored by Bank of America, is open to members now. We are looking forward to opening the exhibition to the public this Sunday during a free community day, made possible by LACMA’s members. And if that weren’t enough, there are many more concerts and events happening this week and next in celebration of the anniversary—see the full rundown here.