Phoenix Art Museum nets vital funds for exhibitions & educational programs
Staff Reports | Digital Free Press
Phoenix Art Museum celebrated its annual fundraiser event, The pARTy, on Saturday, Jan. 28.
Nearly 250 people filled the Museum, raising almost $900,000 dollars, which will benefit the Museum’s exhibitions, education programs and vital operations, according to a press release.
Elegance was abundant as guests enjoyed cocktails in the Katz Wing for Modern Art, a seated dinner in Cummings Great Hall, live entertainment and dancing. This year’s event was chaired by Ellen and Howard Katz.
The event honored Patsy Tarr, president of the 2wice Arts Foundation and the founder and publisher of 2wice magazines and books, who gifted over 300 custom-made Geoffrey Beene ensembles to the Museum in 2020, helping to establish Phoenix Art Museum as one of the nation’s leading institutions with holdings of Mr. Beene’s designs, now housed in the institution’s Geoffrey Beene Archive.
“We are deeply grateful to the many sponsors, attendees, and longtime Museum supporters who made the 2023 pARTy at Phoenix Art Museum a resounding success,” said Jeremy Mikolajczak, the Museum’s Sybil Harrington director and CEO.
“The beautiful evening would not have been possible without the tremendous dedication of pARTy co-chairs Ellen and Howard Katz. Through their efforts, the museum raised a near-record-breaking $900,000 in support of vital operations, exhibitions, and education programming that will continue to expand access to art for our community.
We were also honored to welcome Patsy Tarr, the evening’s honorary chair, as we celebrated the premiere of MOVE: The Modern Cut of Geoffrey Beene, which features various garments that Patsy so generously gifted to the museum in 2020. We encourage all of our audiences to visit the Museum over the next year to experience this incredible exhibition that celebrates one of the most visionary American fashion designers in history.”
Phoenix Art Museum nets vital funds for exhibitions & educational programs
The special evening also kicked off the Museum’s widely anticipated exhibition MOVE: The Modern Cut of Geoffrey Beene. Organized by Phoenix Art Museum with the support of Authentic Brands Group (Authentic), and curated by Helen Jean, the Museum’s Jacquie Dorrance Curator of Fashion Design, the major fashion exhibition showcases colorful, imaginative garments by the late designer and provides an intimate view into his career and process.
Mr. Beene’s groundbreaking designs span across three galleries. The exhibition was made possible through the generosity of Major Sponsors Ellen and Howard C. Katz, Partner Sponsor The Virginia M. Ullman Foundation, and Contributing Sponsors Miriam and Yefim Sukhman. Additional support is provided by KJZZ/KBACH, Arizona Costume Institute, the Kelly Ellman Fashion Design Endowment Fund, and Kimpton Hotel Palomar.
