Tracker Pixel for Entry

Plains Art Museum: 23rd Annual Spring Gala

Arts | May 1st, 2019

Art by Punchgut, design by Raul Gomez

The Plains Art Museum is ready to take you back in time – or forward, if you prefer – for their 23rd annual Spring Gala. The theme for this year’s event, which takes place on Friday, May 3, is Time Machine.

The Spring Gala is the museum’s biggest fundraising event every year. It will include a silent auction, music from Post Traumatic Funk Syndrome, who will take the stage at 9 p.m., and food catering from Urban Foods, Chef’s Table Catering, Concordia, and Nichole’s Fine Pastry. The area’s largest wine tasting will happen from 7 to 9 p.m. with wine provided by Happy Harry’s.

To liven things up even more, the Plains Art Museum stepped up their game and brought in a few extras.

“We’re going to have a couple pinball machines from Fargo Pinball set up, and we will have a DeLorean outside to take pictures next to,” Jacobson said.

Ashley Kunz, Come Away With Me, 2019, Acrylics, inks, aerosols on canvas

Live Wire will be taking care of the sound and lighting, which Jacobson said is a huge deal. “It wouldn’t look nearly as good if we didn’t have Live Wire involved,” he said.

They are also bringing dancing from Red River Dance Company to this year’s event.

“There is going to be a dance spectacle during the gala,” Jacobson said. “We’re not sure exactly what it’s going to be, but they will be doing some performances here and there – not a set thing that people watch, but they’ll be set up through the museum.”

The entertainment, food, and wine tasting are all included in the price of the ticket. There will be a hard bar where attendees can buy drinks other than wine. A photo booth will be set up as well.

Hillary Kempenich, Self Preservation, 2018, Acrylic on canvas

Generally, the Plains Art Museum tries to theme the gala around an exhibition on display.

“Last year, we did a black and white theme,” Jacobson said. “The year before that, we did a garden theme. We’ve done a hat theme where people wear different hats. We did one with masks. We did one kind of similar to this called ‘1976’ in 2006. In the past, we’ve tried to theme them around exhibitions.”

I AM STILL HERE, 2018, Mixed media on wood panel

So, how about this year?

“This year, we do have a show by Zoren Mojsilov, called ‘Time Machine’” Jacobson said. “That’s kind of where we got the name idea from, but it’s not really based around his show.”

While it is not required, attendees are encouraged to wear attire from their favorite time period, be it bell bottoms and flower-pattern button-ups from the 1970s or a futuristic fashion yet to be discovered.

“We’re asking people – not necessary, but if you could dress up from whatever time period,” said Cody Jacobson, Graphics and Communication Manager for the Plains Art Museum. “You could be from Shakespeare to Marilyn Monroe, or if you want to be futuristic, you can go there.”

Les Skoropat, Fine Art The Tip, 2019, Borderless vinyl banner print

The museum is working with artists for the silent auction to raise money. Jacobson said there will be 76 pieces up for auction from 73 local and national artists. The artists range from up and comers to those who are more established.

The artists who bring art for auction split the sale with the museum. Jacobson said the artists will donate anywhere from a quarter to 100 percent of their sale, but he said most split 50/50 with the museum.

As for what people can expect to pay for art they bid on, Jacobson said it depends on the piece and that bidding starts at a set percent of each piece’s value.

Monte Yellow Bird, Prairie Buffalo Hunter, India ink, colored pencil on an antique Assessment Role School District, Silver Bow County, Montana, c. 1890s, Philadelphia general store ledger

“It’s 60 percent of the value price,” Jacobson said of the starting bid. “For example, this piece by Anna Haglin, the value is $450 and the minimum bid would be $270.”

The list of artists includes Anna Haglin, Walter Piehl, Ellen Dietrich, Dan Francis, Wayne Gudmundson, Linda Whitney, and Meg Spielman Peldo.

“We have quite a few from Minneapolis area,” Jacobson said. “One in particular is Robert Whitman. He’s actually lived in New York the last couple years. He got to photograph Prince before Prince was anything. This is the third year we’ve had him. This photograph is from 1977 and it’s a picture of Prince in his mother’s dining room with a guitar. He’s got a big afro and everything. I don’t think this one has ever really been published. It also comes with a really nice book that also has another print inside of it.”

Troy Becker, End of Season, 2016, Screenprint

People wishing to make bids during the auction can do so on their phones.

“You do the bidding all on your phone,” Jacobson said. “When you register for a ticket, you also register to bid at the same time. That’s all done through your phone. You’ll get an email and then you just follow the links. It goes to a website.”

Jacobson said bidding goes on until 10:30 p.m. After that, winners will be sent a notification to their phone and will be able to purchase their piece at around 11:00 p.m.

For those who would like to come and are wondering what they can expect, Jacobson offered this description –

“It’s kind of like a big cocktail party, is kind of how I put it,” he said. “It seems like a lot of people just hang out, eat and drink, and are talking. Later in the night, when the music starts, people start dancing. It’s casual as far as that. There’s no set regiment of, ‘you’ve got to be here at this time,’ except the auction ends at 10:30.”

Jacobson also mentioned a change to this year’s Spring Gala that he wants attendees to take note of.

Walter Piehl, T. Roosevelt, 1970, Etching

“This is the first time that we’ve done it on a Friday,” Jacobson said. “We’ve always done it on Saturdays before. We had comments and wanted to try things out, so we’re going to try it out this year.”

Plains Art Museum’s Spring Gala: Time Machine is going to once again be one of the year’s best events. It will have everything. Including that DeLorean. How did that come about, anyway?

“It actually came because I remembered that High Plains Reader did a cover with some Back to the Future thing years ago,” Jacobson said. “I’m friends with Jay Miller, so I contacted him and was like, ‘Where’d you guys get the DeLorean?’ I’d seen one in town, here. He got me in touch with Dan Francis that shot the photo because he knew the lady that owned it.

“It’s a local woman. I got her number. It was actually her husband’s. He had bought it years ago. He has since passed away, but she still has the DeLorean. We called her up and just asked, ‘Can we have it outside?’ She was more than happy to let us do that.”

IF YOU GO:

Plains Art Museum Spring Gala: Time Machine

Friday, May 3, 7 p.m.

Plains Art Museum, 704 1st Ave. N, Fargo

Recently in:

By Laura Simmonslaurasimmons2025@u.northwestern.edu Dr. Stephen McDonough researched why North Dakota had the highest COVID death rate and cases in the fall of 2020. His investigation accumulated into a 1,000-plus page book titled…

By Michael M. Miller michael.miller@ndsu.eduOne of the most important books published about the Germans from Russia in North Dakota is “Along the Trails of Yesterday: A Story of McIntosh County” by Nina Farley Wishek, published…

photo credit: Jessica GavinSeptemberOktoberfest: Now-October 3Wurst Bier HallStein-holding competition, happy hour Mon-Fri from 4-6, wear your dirndl or lederhosen, German music.https://wurstfargo.com/Papa’s Pumpkin…

By John Strandjas@hpr1.comOur Opinion: Thank you, Reader readers, for 29 fulfilling yearsChugging along, The Little Newspaper That Could commences its 30th volume and year with this issue. Simply getting here speaks volumes. Just…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comEighty Million Eligible Voters Did Not Vote in the DSA in 2020. Why Not?In the first week of February, 2023, Deborah Daub, 59, shot and killed her husband James Daub, 62, Morgan Daub, their…

We are looking for 55-gallon plastic food grade barrels, do you have ideas or connections?We use these barrels to teach our resilient yard workshop series including Make Your Own Rain Barrel and Make Your Own Compost Tumbler. If…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.comMy new venture as a master’s degree student has got me thinking…again about food. Although I’m in an online program with the University of North Dakota, I thought it would be handy to list and…

By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comThe Melvins formed in 1983 Montesano, Washington, founded by singer/guitar player Buzz Osborne. The group is known for its heavy sound mixed with a dose of punk, forming its own subgenre.…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.comFilmmaker Jacqueline Castel’s “My Animal” premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival in January, but its vibes are better suited to the rising blood moon of autumn’s spooky season. Now…

By HPR Staffsubmit@hpr1.comThe Fargo Moorhead Visual Artists’ much-lauded neighbor lovin’ Studio Crawl is just around the corner – October 7 and 8, noon to 6pm. During the free event, the people who add culture and vibrancy…

By Eric Dallmanericd@hpr1.comWe recently watched “The PROM” at Chanhassen Dinner Theatre, and it was an experience that left a lasting impact on us. The story, a heartwarming yet familiar one, follows a group of Broadway stars…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

By John Showalter  john.d.showalter@gmail.comThey sell fentanyl test strips and kits to harm-reduction organizations and…

JANUARY 19, 1967– MARCH 8, 2023 Brittney Leigh Goodman, 56, of Fargo, N.D., passed away unexpectedly at her home on March 8, 2023. Brittney was born January 19, 1967, to Ruth Wilson Pollock and Donald Ray Goodman, in Hardinsburg,…

By Faye Seidlerfayeseidler@gmail.com On the first day of the month I ask people to thank a journalist they know or someone who contributes to papers in some meaningful way. When I grew up, my best friend's father was a journalist…