If you wanted to get close to highbrow socialites, the place to do it Wednesday night was in the elevators at SFMOMA, where sequin-sporting patrons packed in by the dozens on their way to explore the museum’s exhibits — and treat themselves to its open bars — at the annual Art Bash.
The biggest museum gala of the year brought in a record-breaking 2,750 well-heeled San Franciscans, including businesswoman Ayesha Curry, Gap designer Zac Posen, and 49er Christian McCaffrey. (As far as The Standard could tell, Julia Roberts, who made an appearance at the San Francisco Art Fair last week, was not in attendance.)
The setup was opulent, to say the least, with elaborate lights and open bars throughout the seven-floor museum. The main staircase led to a flashing, cherry-patterned step-and-repeat where attendees posed for photos with friends. One former lighting and sound contractor said it usually took days to transform the museum into a party space, and crews worked nearly 24 hours straight to set up the event, then strike it before regular guests returned Thursday.
Gala attendees flocked to second-floor stations serving dim sum and chicken tacos; a popular dessert counter in the back corner was transformed by local artist Jeffrey Sincich into a Mission-style bodega serving espresso shots poured over s’mores. On the third floor, a bar serving exclusively espresso martinis pumped out drinks next to Alexander Calder statues on the terrace.
Guests with $3,000 to shell out for dinner and a live auction were treated to what high-end art advisor Laura Sweeney described as an “immersive” experience on the seventh floor. Transformed into a kind of forest scene by artist Firelei Báez, the space was lined with photos of a woodland scene and had tables strewn with moss. Nature sounds played quietly in the background.
The floor was later opened up to other VIPs, including a troupe of San Francisco Ballet dancers and curators from the city’s prized museums. Guests remarked at how many more people were at the gala than in recent years, though one suggested that it really needed a stricter dress code. “People come dressed like they just came from work,” the suit-sporting guest sniffed. (By The Standard’s estimation, the guests were much better dressed than those at a typical SF party: Colorful suits, feather-tufted pants and one gorgeous, fur-lined duster all made an appearance.)
The real VIP scene was on the fourth floor, where Posen, Curry, and Mayor Daniel Lurie all congregated by the elevators, pausing their conversation to accept handshakes and take selfies. District 2 Supervisor Stephen Sherrill stood with his wife, Sarah Wendell Sherrill, head of Christie’s San Francisco.
Behind the elevators, arts consultant Sabrina Buell, philanthropist Maria Manetti Shrem, and Adam Swig and Harrison Watkins, members of the generous, deep-pocketed Swig clan, took in an exhibit of Berkeley artist Masako Miki’s colorful renderings projected on the walls. (Jessica Silverman, whose gallery represents Miki and has been a mainstay at SFMOMA Art Bashes, brought nearly her whole staff to the event.)
Also in attendance were SFMOMA Board leaders Bob Fisher and Diana Nelson, Gap CEO Richard Dickson, and Daniel Paltridge, CEO of Valentino’s Americas division. The event raised a whopping $3.7 million to benefit SFMOMA’s education and family programs and community engagement events, according to the museum.
By midnight, a sizable crowd packed the museum’s lobby, transformed for the night into a dance floor filled by the sounds of DJ Lady Ryan.
When the clock struck 1 a.m. and the vodka ran dry, partygoers filed to Waymos under a brisk SoMa sky, glitter clinging to their cheeks like the last gasp of a stylish dream.
Until next year, Art Bash.