SFMoma’s Art Bash Raises $2.3 Million
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The corporate, tech and art worlds raised a glass — or several — as well as more than $2 million for San Francisco’s Museum of Modern Art this week at its Art Bash fundraiser, which was held onsite in the city’s SoMa district near Market Street.
Upon arrival for Wednesday’s museum-wide celebration, revelers checked in to see servers welcome them with a fleet ofwine glasses. A quick sip, and most were off to chat with old friends or check out the various looks on display, both on the walls and roaming the cavernous lobby.
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While San Francisco is a major metropolitan city, its scene for art benefactors is not that large, observed Gary Steele, chief executive officer of cybersecurity platform Splunk and a collector of contemporary art. “So we all know each other,” he said, adding that it was one major reason he loves attending these types of events.
While the party continued on the first floor and up through exhibits on the upper levels, guests flowed into a gallery-turned-dining room to feast on vichyssoise, short ribs and raviolo. Notable guests included San Francisco Mayor London Breed, Christie’s West Coast chairman Ellanor Notides and Valentino CEO for the Americas Daniel Paltridge, whose company dressed several guests and sponsored the event alongside others, such as AT&T and Bank of America.
Of course, it was not just a party, but an array of art exhibitions and music or experience installations. These and other highlights included Marilyn Minter’s artwork “My Cuntry ‘Tis of Thee” via wallpapers and video, as well as Woody De Othello’s “Jazz Lounge” spanning bars and a performance art piece; Sadie Barnette’s “The New Eagle Creek Saloon” installation, which reimagines her father’s bar, the first Black-owned gay bar in San Francisco; a performance by singer Amber Mark, and a DJ set spun by Toro y Moi.
But fundamentally, Art Bash is a fundraiser meant to support SFMoma’s curated galleries, education, family programs, public access and more.
On that score, it drew 2,000 attendees and raised $2.3 million, so the museum can continue showing and celebrating works such as Minter’s provocatively titled “My Cuntry ‘Tis of Thee.” That’s not a typo.
The painter, photographer, video and installation artist is no stranger to racy themes, with photos recently appearing in the New York Times Magazine beside an article about sex after 70. In a session during dinner, Minter elaborated on the inspiration behind her latest project: “It came from really the way Hillary Clinton was treated, the misogyny,” she explained. “I can see certain parts of the country — they hated her. They really hated her, which just killed me.”
Her empathy turned the spigot on creativity, and perhaps even a bit of anger. “Once the Republicans won, I thought, well, if they’re gonna call her a c–t, I’m going to shove it down their throat,” Minter added, triggering applause. It underscores the simple truth that it’s often impossible to extricate politics from art.
Whether the guests pondered that or not, as they sipped wine or downed tequila cocktails from Barnette’s saloon, their attendance and support that night ensured that many others — more than 150,000 people, according to the museum’s figures — will get to weigh that through the art and education SFMoma will bring throughout the year.
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