On Sunday, the museum hosts Gala ’24, its annual fundraising event, at the Santa Monica Bay Woman’s Club beginning at 5:30pm. Under the theme of "Chefs and Storytellers," the gala elevates the traditional dinner and program setting with a locally-sourced food and cocktail program and curated entertainment.
A long-running endeavor, Museum Executive Director Rob Schwenker said the gala previously used the "tried and true" format of a plated dinner and awards program. After running a virtual program during the COVID-19 pandemic, the museum "wanted to completely reimagine" the event as an entertainment soiree.
"I’ve been to a lot of these charity fundraisers over the years, and I went to them because I was connected to the organization and I felt good about giving back … but I wanted to do something that was more engaging and frankly, fun," Schwenker said.
Schwenker added that he "stumbled on" the Regarding Her Food organization, founded in part by SOCALO’s Mary Sue Milliken, aimed at helping female restaurateurs. The mission led to the museum collaborating with SOCALO’s Milliken and Susan Feniger, bringing in a host of top female chefs for the gala’s menu.
Along with Feniger, food will be provided by restaurateur Dina Samson, chef Sandra Cordero of Xuntos tapas bar, and chef Johanna Laut of Cassia.
"You come in and you walk into this amazing cocktail party that [has] the best food in LA and these great craft cocktails that the team at SOCALO has created, and you get to see people in the community and have a great time," Schwenker said.
The night’s entertainment includes stand-up comedy from New York-based comedian Brooklyn Jones, as well as music from The Freedom Singers, who emerged from the streets of Skid Row to perform on stages like America’s Got Talent.
Storytellers don’t just end at Jones, however, as one of the night’s main attractions is Storyectomy UnHoused. The series, held by The Crow comedy club, brings people from a specific group (such as cancer survivors or LGBTQ+ community members) and puts them into a six-week run of storytelling classes. The individuals find the stories they want to tell, ending with a showcase at The Crow.
The showcase of UnHoused will move to the gala, and aligns with the museum’s UnHoused exhibition about the history of housing and homelessness in Santa Monica. This edition of Storyectomy took three women who fought homelessness in the city and allowed them to share their lived experiences, something Crow owner Nicole Blaine said changed her own life.
"[This is] the most moving, powerful work I’ve ever done, because these three women have never been given this opportunity to tell their story in the way that they wanted it reflected," Blaine said.
She added that Storyectomy is potentially the future of social justice, by simply allowing for the no-frills, no-agenda storytelling to take place. Schwenker stated that Storyectomy’s place on the gala bill helps to destigmatize homelessness and individuals experiencing it.
"I’ll never be able to, and I don’t think anyone who watched that show when we performed it at The Crow, will ever be able to walk by a homeless person the same way," Blaine said. "That’s how altering the information is, when you have to watch that person on stage and you realize the reflection in the mirror could be you or is part of you."
Supplementing the theme will be a gala award presentation for Community Corporation of Santa Monica, which Schwenker notes is an "amazing success story" in the affordable housing movement, taking on the crisis "in the right way with the right values."
Values for the museum will be reflected all night long, as the space at 1350 7th St. has an objective to "tell the stories of everyone in our community" and to be broadly inclusive.
"When you come into the museum and you take a look [at] what we’re doing, we want you to see a piece of yourself in the stories that we’re telling," Schwenker said. "We want to be a really important part of the education community … if we can take a look at where we’ve been as a city and a place, then we are better positioned to figure out where we’re going."
To register for the gala or to bid on the event’s silent online auction, visit santamonicahistory.ejoinme.org/2024gala
thomas@smdp.com
