The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) hosted its seventh annual Art+Film Gala on Saturday, November 4, 2017, honoring artist Mark Bradford and filmmaker George Lucas. Co-chaired by LACMA trustee Eva Chow and actor Leonardo DiCaprio, the evening brought together more than 600 distinguished guests from the art, film, fashion, and entertainment industries, among others. The evening raised more than $4.4 million, with proceeds supporting LACMA’s film initiatives and future exhibitions, acquisitions, and programming. “We honor the achievements of Mark Bradford and George Lucas—two artistic innovators who also share a deep commitment to art and education. Mark has invested in the L.A. community with Art + Practice, bringing museum-quality art exhibitions and youth services to Leimert Park, and George, through his George Lucas Educational Foundation, has positively impacted the course of learning and lifelong achievement of students. We are thrilled to celebrate their achievements and contributions,” said Michael Govan, LACMA CEO and Wallis Annenberg Director.

The Art+Film Gala began at LACMA, with red-carpet arrivals of art world and entertainment luminaries, fashion icons, and renowned artists at its 6th Street entrance. Guests then moved to a cocktail reception in and around the museum’s Primal Palm Garden, a work that has been continuously developed since 2010 by 2016 Art+Film Gala honoree Robert Irwin. After cocktails, guests proceeded to the Art+Film pavilion overlooking Michael Heizer’s Levitated Mass (2012), where they were seated for a special dinner prepared by Patina’s Joachim Splichal. Michael Govan and Eva Chow welcomed the crowd. Further into the evening, Anderson Cooper contributed an on-screen conversation with honoree Mark Bradford, followed by a tribute to the artist from Ari Emanuel, and a brief documentary about Bradford by filmmaker Dime Davis. The audience enjoyed a short film about George Lucas by Jen Speed and JAKS Cinema, in association with Lucasfilm, with narration by David Oyelowo. Actress Kerry Washington presented a moving tribute to Lucas from the stage. Following the presentations, actress Salma Hayek introduced Annie Lennox, who gave a dynamic performance of Pavement Cracks, There Must Be An Angel, Here Comes The Rain Again, No More I Love You’s, and Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This). The 2017 Art+Film Gala was made possible through the long-term and generous support of Gucci. Additional support for the evening was generously provided by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and the Champagne for the evening was provided by Laurent-Perrier.