The winners of this year’s LACMA Art+Film Gala have been revealed.
Multidisciplinary artist Simone Leigh and Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Baz Lurhmann will be honored at the 13th annual gala, taking place on Saturday, November 2. The evening will also feature a performance by musical guest Charli XCX, following her recent album Rascal becoming one of the biggest hits of the summer.
LACMA Trustees Eva Chow and Leonardo DiCaprio will return as co-chairs, a position they have held jointly since 2011. Gucci, which has sponsored previous editions of the gala, is once again joining LACMA for the event.
According to the museum, proceeds from the gala will enhance LACMA’s initiative to make film more central to the museum’s curatorial programming, while also funding LACMA’s broader mission. This includes exhibitions, acquisitions, and educational programming that explore the intersection of art and film.
“Simone Leigh is one of the most compelling and important voices in contemporary art, brilliantly blending a range of artistic traditions and centering black female subjects in powerful and moving ways,” said Michael Govan, LACMA CEO and Wallis Annenberg Director, in a statement. Leigh’s work is currently on view in exhibitions at both LACMA and the California African American Museum (CAAM).
“Baz Luhrmann has created an emotional body of cinema over three decades, driven by his imagination and passion,” Govan continued. “We are thrilled to honor him alongside Simone and celebrate their extraordinary careers.”
“I am thrilled to bring together such an incredible group of people to pay tribute to the extraordinary contributions of Simone Leigh and Baz Luhrmann,” added Eva Chow, who is one of the Gala’s co-chairs. “I am grateful to our longtime partner Gucci for their deep generosity to LACMA and their continued belief in the power of art and film. And I can’t wait for our amazing musical guest Charli XCX to rock the house. It’s going to be a fantastic night!”
Luhrmann is a famous Australian director, known for the 1996 film Romeo + Juliet, The Moulin Rouge, Australia, The Great Gatsby and his recent Oscar-nominated biopic, Elvis.
Meanwhile, Leigh is best known for her ceramic and bronze sculptures, but her multidisciplinary work extends to video and installation. Her exhibitions have been shown at some of the most renowned art museums, including the Guggenheim and Tate Gallery, among others. Her art is currently on display in an exhibition at both LACMA and the California African American Museum (CAAM). In 2022, Leigh was honored to represent the United States at the 59th annual Venice Biennale, with her exhibition Simone Leigh: Sovereignty.