FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT
Holly Krassner Dawson
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holly@hollykdawson.com
di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art announces Centennial Gala Fundraiser
and Presentation of Inaugural di Rosa Award February 2, 2019
NAPA, CA (November 1, 2018) – di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art, Northern California’s destination for transformative encounters with contemporary art, announces its upcoming fundraising event. The Centennial Gala will be on Saturday, February 2, 2019 from 6-10 p.m. The event will mark the 100th year of founder Rene di Rosa’s birth and includes a seated dinner and presentation of the inaugural di Rosa Award to Bay Area art collector and philanthropist Nion McEvoy.
A forward-thinking collector and supporter of the arts, McEvoy demonstrates Rene di Rosa’s legacy of and commitment to supporting artists and bringing people together through their experimental work. Most recently, McEvoy provided major support for di Rosa’s landmark exhibition Be Not Still: Living in Uncertain Times on view through December 30, 2018. Presented in two parts, the exhibition brings new dynamism to the permanent collection, initiates exchanges about ideas that matter and demonstrates an institution-wide initiative to support the production of new work. McEvoy’s investment in artists and new ideas has significantly impacted the cultural landscape of the Bay Area and beyond. This is perhaps best exemplified by the launch of The McEvoy Foundation for the Arts, the eponymous San Francisco nonprofit presenting exhibitions and public programs that engage, expand and challenge themes present in the McEvoy Family Collection.
McEvoy has been invited to select an artist represented in his personal collection to be honored alongside him at the Centennial Gala. The event will kick off a year of programs and activities celebrating di Rosa’s bright future. Proceeds raised during the fund-a-need will support di Rosa’s robust exhibitions roster and a broad variety of public events focused on experimentation, artists and ideas that matter. Tickets are available online at www.dirosaart.org/centennial-gala and by phone (707) 226-5991 x19.
di Rosa is committed to the civic dimension of arts education and to convening public audiences of all ages to explore the issues of our time. Current community partnerships include the Boys & Girls Clubs of Napa Valley, Napa Valley College Performing Arts and the Napa County Library.
Event management and design is provided by Clea Massiani. Event sponsors include Bump Wine Cellars, Chronicle Books, Domaine Carneros, Fort Point Beer Company, Hotaling & Co., Obsidian Wine Co., William Duff Architects, Inc., Wilson Foreigner Wine, and 1440 KVON/99.3 The Vine. For sponsorship opportunities, contact development@dirosaart.org.
EVENT DETAILS
Centennial Gala
February 2, 2019, 6-10 PM
Location: di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art, 5200 Sonoma Highway, Napa, CA 94559
Tickets: $425 per person / $5,000+ per table of 10
Includes cocktails, seated dinner, award program and fund-a-need paddle raise.
Tickets are available online at www.dirosaart.org/centennial-gala and by phone (707) 226-5991 x19. Donations can also be made online at www.dirosaart.org/give-now.
ABOUT NION MCEVOY
Nion McEvoy is chairman and CEO of Chronicle Books and founder of The McEvoy Foundation for the Arts. He is the immediate past chairman of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Board of Commissioners and serves on the boards of Aperture, SF FILM, McSweeney’s, SFMOMA and the UCSF Foundation, among others. McEvoy is a graduate of UC Santa Cruz and of UC Hastings College of Law. He is also a lapsed rock musician and retired meditation teacher.
ABOUT DI ROSA CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY ART
di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art presents contemporary exhibitions and educational programs for all ages and maintains a collection of notable works by artists living or working in the San Francisco Bay Area from the mid-twentieth century to the present day. A wide range of styles, media and subject matter provides an overview of the creative energy and freedom to experiment that characterize this region of California. Protected in perpetuity under the Napa County Land Trust, di Rosa features multiple galleries, a sculpture park and a 35-acre lake, all located on 217 scenic acres in Napa Valley’s famed Carneros region. For more information, visit www.dirosaart.org.
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