Inside MOCA’s 2025 Gala: A Night Of Art & Icons
MOCA’s 2025 Gala at The Geffen Contemporary honored Frank Gehry, Theaster Gates, and Wendy Schmidt and raised $3.1 million. The post Inside MOCA’s 2025 Gala: A Night Of Art & Icons appeared first on Haute Living.
Photo Credit: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)
On Saturday, May 31, The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) took over The Geffen Contemporary in Little Tokyo for an unforgettable night celebrating creativity, legacy, and impact. Held in partnership with BVLGARI, this year’s Gala introduced the debut of the new MOCA Legends format—honoring three visionary figures who have helped shape the museum’s past, present, and future: artist Theaster Gates, architect Frank Gehry, and philanthropist Wendy Schmidt.
Photo Credit: Marc Patrick, BFA.com
Over 600 guests—spanning the worlds of art, fashion, film, philanthropy, and politics—gathered to celebrate. The result? More than $3.1 million raised in support of MOCA’s exhibitions, programs, and operations.
Photo Credit: Marc Patrick, BFA.com
The evening kicked off with a cocktail hour in Aileen Getty Plaza, followed by a private viewing of Olafur Eliasson: OPEN. Guests were then ceremoniously led to dinner by the TAIKOPROJECT Japanese drum ensemble—setting the tone for a night that was both bold and reverent.
Photo Credit: Marc Patrick, BFA.com
During the seated dinner, GRAMMY-nominated artist Tierra Whack lit up the room with a high-energy performance, bookending a series of powerful tributes. Ava DuVernay introduced Theaster Gates, reflecting on his boundary-breaking work across art and community; Jane Fonda honored Wendy Schmidt’s forward-thinking environmental philanthropy; and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi spoke movingly about Frank Gehry’s influence on the urban landscape, including his reimagining of The Geffen space itself more than 40 years ago.
Photo Credit: Jojo Korsh, BFA.com
MOCA Board Chair Maria Seferian and Maurice Marciano Director Johanna Burton opened the evening with remarks that cut straight to the core of what the night represented. “We’re not just celebrating individual achievements,” Burton said. “We’re reaffirming our belief in the power of art to connect, challenge, uplift, and endure.”
Photo Credit: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)
Each honoree added their own voice to that message. “Art is about living a life where you take your talents, and you multiply them,” Gates said, issuing a call to uplift emerging artists. “I see art and science as two sides of the same coin,” Schmidt offered, tying creativity to freedom of thought. Gehry was candid and grateful: “MOCA means a lot to me. Artists brought me into their club—and opened my eyes to another world.” Following the program, Tierra Whack returned to the stage with a genre-defying set featuring tracks from World Wide Whack and Whack World including “MOOVIES,” “SHOWER SONG,” and fan-favorite “Hungry Hippo.” L.A. DJ Linafornia kept the energy going through dessert with a set that carried the celebration into the night.
Photo Credit: Marc Patrick, BFA.com
Among the evening’s notable attendees were Nancy Pelosi, Ava DuVernay, Jane Fonda, Sarah Paulson, Josh Hutcherson, Michael Govan, Alexandra Hedison, Lisa Edelstein, Edythe Broad, and countless artists and creatives who have shaped (and continue to shape) the cultural fabric of Los Angeles. Also in the room: MOCA Trustees, Life Trustees, and artists across disciplines, all gathered under one roof to support a museum that has long championed the radical, the relevant, and the extraordinary.
Photo Credit: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)
In short: a night that reminded everyone present exactly why art—and the institutions that protect and amplify it—matters.
The post Inside MOCA’s 2025 Gala: A Night Of Art & Icons appeared first on Haute Living.
