FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fundraiser and late-night Museum experience on April 13, 2024 to feature exclusive access to Barbie®: A Cultural Icon, The Power of Pink, and the opening of Multiple Realities: Experimental Art in the Eastern Bloc, 1960s –1980s
Phoenix (March 11, 2024) — Phoenix Art Museum is thrilled to announce its 65th Anniversary Sapphire Gala at The pARTy in the Garden, which is set to take place on Saturday, April 13, 2024. Following the gala, the public is invited to continue the celebration at The Pink afterpARTy for a special museum-after-dark experience. Featuring an exclusive inside look at the Museum’s newest major art exhibitions, along with fine food, custom cocktails, dinner under the stars, dancing and more, The pARTy in the Garden and The Pink afterpARTy play an essential role in supporting the Museum’s exhibitions and arts education programs.
The pARTy in the Garden starts at 6 p.m., and festivities will begin with a cocktail hour and the enchanting melodies of acclaimed Valley vocalist and pianist, Luke Holton. Guests will enjoy an exclusive opportunity to be the first to view the Arizona premiere of Multiple Realities Experimental Art in the Eastern Bloc, 1960s -1980s. Known for its edgier, more experimental artwork, the exhibition uncovers how a generation of artists from the Cold War period pursued creative freedom and battled systems of censorship that sought to surveil and silence them. At 7:30 p.m., attendees will dine under the stars in the Dorrance Sculpture Garden, the first time the dinner has been hosted outdoors, and will enjoy a soulful French swing and jazz performance by Arizona-based Zazu West.
Following the gala, pARTy guests and those who purchase tickets to The Pink afterpARTy are invited to continue the celebration in Cummings Great Hall from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. (Doors open at 8:30 p.m. for afterpARTy guests to check in.) During this late-night, “museum-after-dark experience,” attendees will enjoy music by DJ Yeezus, late-night snacks, pink-themed desserts including cotton candy and craft cocktails included with the ticket cost. Guests will also enjoy unlimited, private access to Barbie®: A Cultural Icon and its complementary exhibition, The Power of Pink, drawn largely from the Museum’s expansive fashion-design collection and features haute-couture fashions such as Post Malone’s 2019 GRAMMY ensemble.
Evening cocktail attire with a pop of pink and/or sapphire is requested for pARTy goers. For The afterpARTy, the public is invited to dress to impress in their finest fuchsias or arrive blushed to the nines. Complimentary valet parking will be provided for both events.
A limited number of individual pARTy gala tickets will be available to the public. Individual tickets to the 65th Anniversary Sapphire pARTy in the Garden begin at $1,250. Table sponsorships begin at $10,000 and include seating for up to 10. All gala tickets include access to The afterpARTy. Guests are asked to RSVP by April 1, 2024. To RSVP, email specialevents@phxart.org or call 602.307.2082. For event information, ticketing, donor and sponsorship opportunities, please visit phxart.org/special-events-series/party2024.
Individual tickets for The Pink afterpARTy are $165 for the public or two tickets for $300 and $125 for members of Phoenix Art Museum and Arizona Costume Institute. To purchase tickets, visit https://phxart.org/special-events-series/afterparty2024.
65th Anniversary Sapphire pARTy in the Garden Chairs:
Matthew Feeney
Michele Feeney, Trustee
Donald C. Opatrny, Jr., Chair of the Board of Trustees
Judith Opatrny
The Pink afterpARTy Chairs:
Sam Alpert
Lisa Bienstock, DDS
Ben Himmelstein
Vanessa Ruiz, Trustee
About Phoenix Art Museum
Since 1959, Phoenix Art Museum has provided millions of guests with access to world-class art and experiences in an effort to ignite imaginations, create meaningful connections, and serve as a brave space for all people who wish to experience the transformative power of art. Located in Phoenix’s Central Corridor, the Museum is a vibrant destination for the visual arts and the largest art museum in the southwestern United States. Each year, more than 350,000 guests engage with critically acclaimed national and international exhibitions and the Museum’s collection of more than 19,000 works of American and Western American, Asian, European, Latin American, modern, and contemporary art and fashion design.
The museum also presents a comprehensive film program, live performances and educational programs designed for visitors of all ages, along with vibrant photography exhibitions made possible through the museum’s landmark partnership with the Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona. To learn more about Phoenix Art Museum, visit PHXART.ORG or call 602.257.1880.
About Multiple Realities: Experimental Art in the Eastern Bloc, 1960s –1980s
Organized by the Walker Art Center, Multiple Realities: Experimental Art in the Eastern Bloc, 1960s -1980s uncovers how a generation of artists from the Cold War period pursued creative freedom and battled systems of censorship that sought to surveil and silence them.
About Barbie®: A Cultural Icon
Created by Illusion Projects and curated by costume historian Karan Feder, in collaboration with Mattel, Barbie®: A Cultural Icon examines the brand’s 65-year history and the doll’s global impact on fashion and culture through more than 250 vintage dolls—including the original Barbie—from the collections of private collector David Porcello and Mattel.
About The Power of Pink
Drawn largely from the Museum’s renowned fashion-design collection, The Power of Pink celebrates the complex history of pink. The exhibition traces the history of the hue from its origins in 17th-century France to 1940s North America, through works by Christian Dior, Valentino, Yves Saint Laurent and more.
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