The Art of Elysium welcomed 2019 by hosting their 12th Annual Black Tie celebration, HEAVEN, the night before the Golden Globes on Saturday, January 5th at a new private venue in Koreatown. The event was co-chaired by Evangelo Bousis, Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix. During the cocktail hour, guests sipped on specialty cocktails sponsored by Ketel One Botanical and snacked on appetizers crafted by celeb Chef Shirley Chung. Michael Muller’s vision of HEAVEN includes oceanic views, so the cocktail space was packed with panoramic underwater seascapes including wall art featuring sharks and other under-the-sea flora and fauna.

Once guests were seated, The Art of Elysium founder Jennifer Howell kicked off the main program by introducing the Compton Kidz Club, who performed I’ll Fight, an original song from the critically acclaimed documentary RBG. After their performance, Howell introduced Michael Muller as the 2019 Visionary. Michael shared his vision of Heaven, which is Connection, and emphasized the importance of volunteering and the way it connects people. Peter Dundas for DUNDAS then unveiled his latest collection in an elaborate fashion show, featuring make-up design by Charlotte Tilbury.

As guests dined on a dinner menu curated by Chef Shirley Chung, mentalist Oz Pearlman, who also served as Master of Ceremonies for the evening, charmed and mystified the crowd with a performance. Jennifer Howell then presented Beau Dunn with the 2019 Spirit of Elysium award for generously supporting and nurturing the charity over the years. Beau thanked Jennifer for the award and encouraged the audience to get involved in AOE programs and help cultivate the next generation of artists. The evening was capped off with musical performances by Phantogram, Chuck D, and Linda Perry.

TO DONATE TO THE ART OF ELYSIUM:

1. Text HEAVEN2019 to 52182

2. Items from Michael Muller’s HEAVEN, and previous HEAVEN’s, will also be available for the public to purchase starting Monday, January 7th. All proceeds will go to Art of Elysium programs.