LACMA’s Art + Film Gala Honors California Storytellers

The museum and Gucci partnered to host the 12th annual benefit celebrating artist Judy Baca and filmmaker David Fincher

Words by ELIZABETH VARNELL
Photography by BFA and GETTY IMAGES

David Fincher and Judy Baca.

Chris Burden’s sculptural Urban Light installation served as an entryway for the annual gathering of creatives from the worlds of art, fashion, music, and film who converged at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art for the Art + Film Gala held on Saturday, November 4. The evening — co-chaired by Eva Chow and Leonardo DiCaprio and honoring Marin-raised filmmaker David Fincher and Los Angeles visual artist and muralist Judy Baca — included a host of Gucci-clad guests in designs by the Italian house’s new creative director, Sabato De Sarno, also on hand. Michael Govan, LACMA’s director and CEO, noted that the evening marked a dozen years since the event’s inception. “It’s 12 years now of bringing these diverse communities together and I think it’s the only event of its kind where the art community and film community come together,” he said. “And coming together right now is really important.”

This year’s gala, amid the actors’ strike, was planned in alignment with SAG-AFTRA, with proceeds from the event helping fund the museum’s film initiatives, exhibitions, acquisitions, and future programs. Joining Gucci’s Jean-François Palus at the party were Diedrick Brackens, Colman Domingo, Ava DuVernay, Julia Garner, Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons, Daisy Edgar Jones, Billie Eilish, Jane Fonda, Andrew Garfield, A$AP Rocky, Mariacarla Boscono, Jeffrey Deitch, Glenn Ligon, Helen Pashgian, Awol Erizku, Honor Fraser, Larry Gagosian, Alexandra Grant and Keanu Reeves, Salma Hayek Pinault and François-Henri Pinault, Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian, Lykke Li, Daniel Kwan, Lauren Halsey, Jonas Wood, Kulapat Yantrasast, Greg Ito, Annie Philbin, Shaun Regen, Ed Ruscha, Analia Saban, Guadalupe Rosales, Kenny Scharf, Sofia Boutella, Jessica Chastain, Jodie Comer, Lupita Nyong’o, Sam Osborn, David Oyelowo, Elliot Page, Boojin Lee, Cheech Marin, Elaine Wynn, and many more.

Judy Baca.

“David is respected everywhere for his art, and Judy, with the longest mural in the world, is in our galleries almost every day now finishing the mural, painting with the public,” said Govan of this year’s honorees. Baca took the stage steps from the worksite where she had spent recent days adding panels that will elongate her 1978 mural, The Great Wall of Los Angeles, which depicts L.A. regional history from prehistoric eras to the 1960s. As she arrived for the celebration where she was fêted by Eva Longoria, Baca said, “I’ve never really thought of myself as belonging to the art world. But, in truth, there is a community of us that are makers and that have been here living in Los Angeles, we’re all Angelitos, this is my hometown.” Next guests toasted Fincher, whose prescient films include The Social Network, Fight Club, and Mank along with thrillers Zodiac and Se7en. He was lauded by frequent collaborator Brad Pitt. Fincher acknowledged all the artists necessary for every stage of filmmaking and noted, “Well, I think film and Los Angeles are fairly synonymous, so if you’re talking about aspiring to anything in film in Los Angeles, hopefully it’s art.”

Guests dined on a menu created by Mattia Agazzi of Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura in Beverly Hills, in collaboration with Patina’s Joachim Splichal. Lenny Kravitz took the stage to perform hits he penned, including “Fly Away,” “American Woman,” and “Here to Love” after an introduction from Jennifer Lopez. As departing guests got a look at the museum’s new building taking shape around them, photographer Catherine Opie’s comment earlier in the evening struck a chord. “The most important thing,” Opie said, “is to be a member at the museum of your hometown.”