Staff Reports | Free Press Philanthropy
The Phoenix Art Museum recently hosted its 2026 pARTy in the Garden gala and afterpARTy April 10, recognizing donors and raising funds to support museum programs.
The event, chaired by Catherine and Jim Tuton and Matthew Boland and Christopher Greulich, drew more than 400 attendees and raised $1.3 million for exhibitions, arts education and operations, according to a press release.
The evening included the presentation of the inaugural PhxArt Luminary Award to Lee and Mike Cohn for their support of the museum. Guests also participated in a cocktail reception, seated dinner and private viewing of the exhibition “Florentine Baroque: The Haukohl Collection.”
“We are deeply grateful to our chairs, supporters, and community for making this year’s pARTy in the Garden such a tremendous success,” Phoenix Art Museum Sybil Harrington Director and Chief Executive Officer Jeremy Mikolajczak said.
“We were especially honored to celebrate Mike and Lee Cohn as the inaugural recipients of the PhxArt Luminary Award, in recognition of their extraordinary generosity and leadership, and to announce publicly for the first time their landmark gift to the Museum’s endowment. As the largest single contribution in the institution’s history, this transformative support will significantly strengthen our ability to grow and care for our contemporary art collection for generations to come. Over the past two decades, the Cohns’ unwavering support has expanded educational programs, championed Arizona artists, and enriched the cultural vitality of our state in lasting and meaningful ways.”
The PhxArt Luminary Award is a new annual recognition honoring individuals and organizations whose contributions have supported the museum’s development. As the first recipients, the Cohns were recognized for their long-term involvement and recent endowment gift.
Their latest contribution establishes the PhxArt Cohn Care of Collection & Acquisition Funds, supporting conservation and expansion of the museum’s contemporary art collection. The museum also introduced the Cohn Family Patio in the Dorrance Sculpture Garden during the event.
The evening concluded with a performance by singer Carolina Rial, followed by the afterpARTy, which included gallery access, music, food and entertainment.
