Frank Gehry, Theaster Gates, Wendy Schmidt Fêted at MOCA’s 2025 Gala
The museum’s annual celebration, presented by Bulgari, raised $3.1 million and honored three pioneers shaping the cultural landscape of Los Angeles
Over the weekend, more than 600 artists, patrons, and leading cultural figures from Los Angeles and beyond flocked to the Geffen Contemporary at Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in the city’s Little Tokyo neighborhood to celebrate its 2025 Gala. This year’s celebration, presented by Bulgari, marked the debut of a format called MOCA Legends that honors three visionaries who have shaped the museum’s legacy: artist and Galerie Creative Mind Theaster Gates, architect Frank Gehry, and philanthropist Wendy Schmidt. The gala raised $3.1 million in support of the museum’s exhibitions, programming, and operations.
Upon arrival, guests were welcomed to the Aileen Getty Plaza for a cocktail reception and viewed the current exhibition “Olafur Eliasson: Open” en route to dinner. Following drinks, guests were shepherded to a bespoke dining area by the TaikoProject Japanese drum ensemble. During the dinner portion, initial remarks were delivered by MOCA Board Chair Maria Seferian and Johanna Burton, the museum’s Maurice Marciano Director.
“As we celebrate our annual gala, we’re not just honoring individual achievements, but reaffirming our collective belief in the power of art to connect and challenge, uplift and endure,” Burton said, nodding to the city’s collaborative efforts to fundraise following January’s devastating wildfires, especially the Los Angeles Arts Recovery Fund led by the Getty. “This evening, I want to speak to that power—and to the resilience, generosity, and creativity that sustain it.” She also nodded to future exhibitions from the likes of Nadya Tolokonnikova (of Pussy Riot) and “Monuments,” which will place 15 decommissioned Confederate statues alongside contemporary artworks to explore how these structures have shaped national identity.
The filmmaker Ava DuVernay then introduced Gates, reflecting on his expansive work across art and community-building. It was somewhat of a full-circle moment for the Chicago-based artist, who had his first West Coast solo museum exhibition at the museum in 2011. “Art is about living a life where you take your talents, and you multiply them,” Gates said, speaking about uplifting everyday artistic voices and emerging talent. “Is it possible that we could take a moment to imagine the talent around us has the capacity to do greater than it does?”
Afterward, actor and activist Jane Fonda honored Schmidt, lauding her ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship. “I see art and science as two sides of the same coin,” Schmidt spoke about the crucial links between the two disciplines. “Each of them rests upon a single, necessary foundation: freedom of thought. The freedom to imagine and create is part of human nature.” Schmidt has long protested oil drilling, promoted ocean conservation, and recently founded the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Environment and Art Prize, which will present projects by Cecilia Vicuña and Julian Charrière at the museum next year.
Finally, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi remarked upon Gehry’s architectural legacy and how he transformed the city’s urban landscape, noting his 1983 renovation of The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA that prioritized adaptive reuse. “MOCA means a lot to me,” Gehry said of the impact of artists and the art world on his personal life and practice early in his career. “Artists brought me into their club—it’s where I wanted to be, and they opened my eyes to another world.”
Following remarks, Grammy-nominated rapper Tierra Whack performed cuts from her records World Wide Whack and Whack World during the seated dinner. Her performance was followed by a set by DJ Linaornia, capping off a celebratory evening that was attended by such notables as Jeffrey Deitch, Kenturah Davis, Catherine Opie, Michael Govan, Alex Israel, Andrea Bowers, Michael Maltzan, Leo Marmol, Sarah Paulson, Zoë Ryan, Kelly Wearstler, Karen Bass, Elliott Hundley, Christina Quarles, Doug Aitken, Ruby Neri, Refik Anadol, Charles Gaines, Jennifer Guidi, Arthur Jafa, and more.
Scroll below for more images of the star-studded evening.
