MY NIGHT AT THE CONTEMPORARY MUSEUM!

Photos in this post by Coco of COCOCOZY

Mark Rothko, No. 61 Rust & Blue, 1953 - My favorite painting of all times that is in MOCA's permanent collection!(above)

A girl (me) walks into a museum (the Museum of Contemporary Art in L.A.) the other night (Saturday) and sees the head of said prestigious museum and then immediately tells him that one day she wants to buy a piece of art (Mark Rothko's No. 61 in Blue and Rust) that is currently in the museum's permanent collection (it's been there for around 30 years)...so the question is...who does this girl (me) think she is? Right?

Well the above scenario is not at all fictional...this took place this last weekend at MOCA's Fresh Auction - a silent auction that raises money for the museum. 

I (the girl) walked into the museum on Saturday night wearing vintage Prada I might add (vintage meaning it has been in my closet for about 10 years - so instead of calling it an "old dress", I'll be like those other girls who do not over share and call it "vintage").  Sis DS and I were on the host committee of the event.  Rather than greeting Jeffrey Deitch, MOCA's Director with normal light party banter as you should probably greet the head of a major world recognized museum...I barely said hello and launched into what was on my mind.  Basically I told Jeffrey that I wanted to one day buy a very famous piece of art (the one pictured above) and asked if that would be possible. Simple statement and question.  Oh did I mention that said art is part of the museum's permanent collection and is probably worth millions, if not tens of millions.  Just a few obstacles. My sis DS looked at me amused and slightly surprised that I would use the little time we had to say our hellos to Jeffrey with my odd announcement and question.  Sis DS is very friendly with Jeffrey as she sits on some museum committees and they go to dinner from time to time so I think that's why he indulged me and didn't totally look at me like I was bonkers (although he may have thought it).  They both grinned and then Jeffrey actually said "Good question"!

Before I had a textiles collection, before the interior design blog, before I was a t.v. executive, a television producer and a news reporter, before I went to law school, I was an art history major in college.  I've spent years going to museums and appreciating art...but as of late I've had little or no time for art.  So it was great being back at MOCA and wandering through the galleries enjoying the amazing art!

Here are some pictures from my night at the contemporary museum!

The crowd at the MOCA Fresh Auction (above)

Robert Rauschenberg, Lotus II, 2008 was up for auction with a retail value of $22,000! (above and below)

This Chris Oatey, Diffusion, 2008 was also part of the silent auction. (above)

My favorite L.A. artist Brian Wills also contributed a mixed media piece to the auction...Brian is known for his linear graphic designs. (above)

After enjoying the auction, we then headed over to the museums permanent collection wing to take a tour...the galleries were empty as I think auction guests didn't know that they were open to the public! (above)

Me spending a little quiet time in front of my favorite Mark Rothko painting. (above)

This work by artist Jackson Pollock is an iconic classic and is also part of MOCA's permanent collection.  It is entitled Number 1, 1949 and is enamel and metallic paint on canvas. Love it. (above and below)

Cy Twombly, Untitled 1967. Oil and crayon on canvas.  My sis DS loves this modern classic. (above)

The party was held at MOCA on Grand Street...a full blown party upstairs and the auction downstairs...it was quite a sparkling night! (above)

Are you a fan of contemporary art?  If you had to chose a famous painting for your home, what might that be?  Do you like anything you see here or is this all too modern for you?

Happy Tuesday!

xo
Coco

P.S.  After the museum, we headed to popular Los Angeles downtown restaurant Church & State and had a lovely meal.  Very lively at 9:30p at night (we had to wait 15 minutes for a table) and the food was absolutely delish...haven't been there in a few years and this time the food was excellent.

Church & State in Los Angeles. (above and below)

P.P.S.  Helping best of friend FF with a little something having to do with her huge New Orleans mansion!  I hope it works out and I have stories to tell later in the year!

P.P.P.S.  Was on the phone with other best of friend AM the other day and she was telling me how I need to watch Downtown Abbey.  She watched all of Season 1 online and got caught up a few weeks back and totally loves the show.  When I said, "Oh, I think I would like Downtown Abbey".  She replied, "Duntown".  I said, "Downtown".  She then said "Duntown".  Then I said, "Downtown". And she said, "No it's Duntown." This went back and forth at least 4 times.  It seems that those in the "Downtown Abbey" know pronounce don't pronounce "downtown" the way the rest of us unsavvy pronounce the word.  Who knew....hmmmm.....???? Realized later I was misspelling and incorrectly pronouncing the name of the show which in fact is Downton! You live and you learn.  Although you would think best of friend AM might say something instead of going back on and forth with me!  LOL!

P.P.P.P.S.  CL, I did get your emails about not being able to go the auction but getting a chance to go to the preview.  Next time you'll have to make it to the event!  It was very exciting.

P.P.P.P.P.S.  Happy Tuesday again! Hope you have a fantastic day.


Photos in this post by Coco of COCOCOZY

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AN art, art gallery, events, Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, MOCA, museum, paintings, party, Robert Rauchenberg

MOCA GALA - THE ARTIST'S MUSEUM HAPPENING!

All photos in this post by Coco of Nbaynadamas

View of music performance at the MOCA Gala 2010 "The Artist's Happening" from our table. Devendra Banhart, Beck and Gaetano Veloso all perform. (above)

Last night was fantastic. We went to the MOCA Gala again and this year it was a really fun night.

The headline here is TWO CLUELESS GIRLS HAVE A FAB EVE AT MOCA...sis DS and I were what you might call totally clueless throughout the night.

It started off when we arrived at the event. Someone from the museum who we know spotted us and said, "You guys will need to do the red carpet." We said, "Okay" thinking that she meant we needed to go that way to get into the event. Well as it turns out...we were being escorted down the red carpet by a publicist who was introducing us to the press. Here is the hilarious part. We were so confused by this "happening" that we really didn't know quite what do...nor did the press. The press photographers would yell out "Who are those young ladies" (questionable already) and the publicist would tell them and then they would take one photo or two. Meanwhile we arrived at the same time as a soap opera actress who the photogs were screaming at and taking hundreds of photos of her and her boyfriend...our situation was not at all the same. One photographer kind of looked at me and raised his camera as if to say, "I'll take a photo of you guys". Hee hee. Oh, the other part was we kept just bumping into each other because we were so confused. We got stuck on the red carpet in this kind of no-mans land of watching the soap actress get photographed and then an occasional photographer saying "who are they?" and then another taking a photo here and there for almost 5 minutes. Oh and then we were interviewed by some media outlet on camera. I think it was a pity interview. :-)

After we escaped the red carpet (which was actually black), we headed into the party and the art exhibit. It was amazing. The media piece by artist Doug Aitken was phenomenal. We love the museum's new director Jeffrey Deitch...he is awesome.

Anyhooo...onto clueless part #2...dinner. We arrived at our table and there were some nice people sitting there...a family...two guys and like 5 girls. I sat at the head of the table and my sister sat to my left, she was next to one of the guys. We introduced ourselves, they introduced themselves. It was a brother and his two sisters...they were there to watch one of the sister's husband perform. So we continued to chat and chat and chat...and later found out (after we got home) that we were in fact sitting at the table with a bunch of actors (one of whom was in Avatar) and a very famous music star (the one performing). Needless to say...our table was fantastic and everyone was so friendly and fun. We ended up making a new fashionable friend too!

All my photos are totally blurry...here are just a few.


Musical tables were auctioned off during an amazing live auction performed by 6 rural farm auctioneers! (above)


The cocktail party tent! (above)


Home sweet home after a hard day's night! :-) (above)
Oh, I ended up wearing these old Prada shoes (they are suede and quite hot in person) and that old Narciso Rodriguez dress I mentioned (instead of buying a new outfit, I splurged on some Christian Louboutin boots yesterday...uh oh...). Sis was in all new in a silver ruched/pleated Dolce & Gabbana dress with simple Manolos and a fab Judith Leiber bag.

Anyhoooo...glitz and glam is over...back to normal...although we are going to a brunch at the Gagosian this morning...the final event for the Gala weekend.

Hope you have a fabulous Sunday!

xo
Coco

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AN art, MOCA, Nbaynadamas, party

ALL NOT DRESSED UP AND SOMEWHERE TO GO!

I feel like this girl. The posh Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Gala is this weekend coming...this year, it is actually called a "Happening"- an artistic takeover of the traditional black-tie gala we've had at MOCA for years. Well, I "happen" not to have a thing to wear...so it is all very fitting the new party concept and all.

Maybe I'll just do what she did. Show up in a chic skirt, some stylish fuzzy heels, a flower for my head and a bra/bikini top. Kind of avant garde in a half dressed sort of way. Right? Would certainly make a statement. Wonder what the other guests would say? I do wonder actually. I wonder if I wonder enough to seriously try this look though...hmmmm...will get back to you...

Help...any ideas what to wear to a fancy "happening"? The comedy continues...yes indeed...

xo
Coco


Photo: Fabio Bartelt

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AN fashion, MOCA, Nbaynadamas, parties, party

MOCA NEW: DESIGNS ON A BLACK-TIE MUSEUM GALA!

All photos in this post by Coco of Nbaynadamas

Nearly a thousand art supporters came out to a black-tie event for MOCA's 30th anniversary. A huge tent was staged right on Grand Avenue in order to house the elegant dining area and the stage for the night's performances. (above)

Okay...last night was FANTASTIC. Went to the annual Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) black-tie gala.

After a day of indecision as to whether I was feeling up for going...I finally decided cold or no cold I'm going...I bit the bullet at 5:30p, whipped on my Badgely Mischka black evening gown and at 6:00pm zipped off to this annual fete with sister DS (who was looking stunning in a simple black Dolce & Gabbana dress, a fab beaded necklace thing and to die for Prada shoes).

Anyhoooooo...off we went to MOCA to help celebrate the museum's 30th anniversary. Every year the gala is just amazing. Under the previous museum director Jeremy Strick, these parties were just stunningly dramatic and elegant - like no other parties I had ever been to. Strick was the one who kicked off this whole idea of a gala for the museum years ago and raised the profile of the institution 100-fold during his tenure.

We've been big supporters of the museum for years (and dare I say probably even bigger supporters once all of the chic parties started...is that bad?...I know...it is all about the art...I know...). So attending this year's event was a social no-brainer for me and my sister.

We arrived to see a humongous tent had been constructed right on Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles with the Walt Disney Concert Hall looming in the background. It was quite a spectacular sight.

The valet ushered us out of our car, we checked in and were immediately rushed towards that night's equivalent of a red carpet (it was pink). In front of us, an older woman sporting a large fur coat (in L.A. mind you) was clearly surprised by the spectacle of the event and the grandeur of the entrance; I heard this older woman say to the museum usher, "Do we really have to walk through all of this?"...she was referring to the scene of hundreds of paparazzi, camera crews and bright lights. The museum usher responded, "Yes ma'am. This is the only way into the event."

With that said...off we went down the "red carpet"...

My favorite part of this evening was being reunited with MOCA's incredible permanent collection which includes this Mark Rothko painting that I hadn't seen in decades. This view is during the cocktail hour as guests wandered through the museums formidable collection that includes the masters of modern and contemporary art...Rothko, Pollock, Lichtenstein, Picasso, Rauchenberg and so many more. (above)

It was the who's who of Los Angeles. Politicians, business people, artists, celebrities and so many other luminaries from the community...all mingling and greeting during the cocktail hour (it was actual two hours).

I must say, my one critique of the event is that there may have been too many celebrities there for my taste (can there ever be too many celebrities? Yes, she emphatically replies after living in Los Angeles all of her life)...it felt a bit like attending the Emmys or a cheesy Hollywood party in that respect. Whoa is me...I bore with all of the stars and the likes....I made it through the treachery of too many celebrities, champagne, glitz, glamour and good times (I am being facetious...I think...). Let's see...I might as well go through the list of famous faces I saw during the cocktail hour...Zoe Saldana, Christina Ricci, Marisa Tomei, Chris O'Donnell, Jessica Alba, Guy Ritchie (I think or at least a guy who looked like Guy Ritchie), Eva Mendes. Kate Beckinsale, and the entire soap opera cast of The Young & the Restless (yes, that's right).... etc...etc...blah blah blah... (Oh...just looked on the internet and saw that Brad and Angelina were there too...well who knew...).

Celebs schmlebs...I was most thrilled when we ran into renowned L.A. contemporary artist Mark Bradford. My sister and I have met Mark over the years, loved his work and watched his career sky rocket. We sidled up to Mark in order to say our usual art party hellos and were absolutely ecstatic after to have seen and spoken to this art superstar once again.

Anyhooo...

Then it was into the dinner tent and a performance by Lady Gaga and the Bolshoi Ballet dancers....


The tent was draped in red, with large crystal chandeliers, long tables draped in red with gold accents everywhere...Rococo was the goal. (above)

Lady Gaga and the Bolshoi Ballet perform on stage at MOCA New - the museum's 30th Anniversary Gala.(above)


We left the delightful dinner before dessert arrived...we left feeling good about Los Angeles, MOCA and hopeful for the future of contemporary art in our city of angels!

What a great night. :-)

All photos in this post by Coco of Nbaynadamas

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AN art, entertaining/tableware, events, MOCA, Nbaynadamas, parties