O What A Night Gala lived up to its name again, celebrating “the very best in Southern art, music, and food,” said Penny Francis, who co-chaired the gala with Deanna Rodriguez, Coleman E. Adler II and Tiffany Adler.
The festivities kicked off on Oct. 19 with a patron party at gallery owner and collector Arthur Roger’s home with live music by Wendell Brunious and a special art projection against the side of an exterior wall by Brennan Steele.
Two nights later, the gala started in the Patrick F. Taylor Library, where Papo y Son Mandao performed during the silent auction presented by Neal Auction, which featured more than 120 items.
Partygoers then moved to a tent adjacent to the museum adorned in white with bursts of color, such as bright vases filled with white roses andceiling lighting from suspended orbs casting a wash of palates.
Cuban-American artist Luis Cruz Azaceta, who had a retrospective at the museum in 2022, was this year’s winner of the Opus Award, given to a person who has “made a significant impact with the arts and culture of the region.”
The live auction, expertly helmed by Swan Galleries’ Nicholas Lowry, offered 14 pieces of art to bid on with George Dunbar’s “Paquet Series No.7” getting a top bid. There was also a “paddle raise” in support of the Charles D. Urstadt Chairman Emeritus Acquisition Fund.
Dinner was catered by Palate New Orleans with dessert macrons from Sucré. Jeremy Davenport and his band performed during dinner and D’Play Band provided the right tunes for dancing.
Fun Fact: This benefit for the Ogden Museum of Southern Art marked the 20th anniversary of the museum, of which the exhibition “Knowing Who We Are,” on view from April 1, 2023 until March 3, 2024, was its visual diary, showcasing the museum’s diverse collection of art from the American South from the 18th-century to present day.
