Tracker Pixel for Entry

Spring Gala Wonderland

Culture | April 20th, 2023

By Alicia Underlee Nelson

alicia@hpr1.com

The Spring Gala at the Plains Art Museum returns May 6. This annual fundraiser and silent art auction benefits museum programming, so it’s a very worthy cause. But the Spring Gala is also a scene, a vibe, a whole mood. The wonder, the revelry, the tiny touches of delicious, laugh-out-loud novelty keep people coming back for more, year after year.

It is the kind of party where couture and cosplay are equally appreciated, where aerialists twirl and creatives from all walks of life mingle on the dance floor, nibbling hors d’oeuvres from Chef’s Table and Urban Foods Catering as they circulate in a swirl of silk and flashing sequins.

There’s a wine tasting from Happy Harry’s Bottle Shops, an array of decadent treats from Nichole’s Fine Pastry & Café, and more than a few surprises in store along the way.

This year’s bash features a performance from Star IV and the funk/soul/bluesy pop rock stylings of Mae Simpson, a seven-piece band out of Minneapolis making its Spring Gala debut. Livewire sets the scene with immersive, atmospheric lighting and effects that transform the museum into something lifted from a dream.

That dream is the result of lots of work behind the scenes. We caught up with Andy Maus, Director and CEO of the Plains Art Museum, to learn a little more about this year’s event.

High Plains Reader: This event has a very different vibe than most fundraisers. What makes the atmosphere at the Gala so unique?

Andy Maus: The Spring Gala is a party. There is no program or a sit-down dinner like many other charity galas. People make the event theirs, and I think that is why it is so popular.

HPR: How is each year's theme chosen?

AM: We have a Gala Steering Committee with some amazing, creative people including some of our team, Gala Co-Chairs, the Livewire team, and volunteers. One of the first tasks each year is to consider theme options. This one (Wonderland) emerged pretty quickly—after a couple of meetings—and it stuck.

HPR: How will this year's theme be showcased throughout the museum?

AM: We will have many wonderlands throughout the Museum. The super talented people at Livewire have some great plans to help make that happen and we also have a surprise performance planned. It will be wonderful—literally!

HPR: What’s the most common question you get about the gala?

AM: What should I wear?

HPR: People start planning their outfits as soon as the theme is announced, so that makes sense. That said, do you have any tips about what to wear this year?

AM: Each year, there are people who dress in costumes for the theme. The most obvious idea is “Alice in Wonderland,” but any wonderful costume will do. And then, there are always many people who just dress in whatever they like for a nice night Downtown. Overall, people just wear whatever makes them feel good, so it need not be a stressful decision.

HPR: What’s the question that you wish people would ask?

AM: What does the Spring Gala support? The Spring Gala supports PlainsArt4All to sustain free general admission and our educational programs.

HPR: Which pieces in the art auction are you especially excited about?

AM: We have a much larger art auction this year, reflective of a record number of submissions. I think we have about 100 pieces that were chosen by this year's juror, Britta Anderson.

We also have a surprise artwork by Star Wallowing Bull, commissioned by Brian Hayer for the event. It's so new that I haven't seen that piece yet either, so I would say revealing that will be really exciting.

There will be many surprising artworks this year, and by artists that may be new to people. In fact, I too am learning new artists from this year's auction. It's a really great selection. People can bid on artworks starting April 28 through a portal on our website, which is plainsart.org.”

__________________________________________________

IF YOU GO

Spring Gala: Wonderland

Saturday, May 6, 7pm–midnight

Plains Art Museum, 704 1st Ave N, Fargo

Tickets $125 ($150 after April 22)

Discounts for members

plainsart.org

Recently in:

By Maddie Robinson  maddierobi.mr@gmail.comIn order to get affordable child care for her son, Paulina Erbele has to drive from her work in Gackle,…

By Michael M. Miller  michael.miller@ndsu.eduAs the Holiday Season continues, I extend Yuletide Best Wishes and a special Fröhliche Weihnachten greeting…

Sunday, December 10, 12-4:30pmThe Commissary at Fort Lincoln State Park, BismarckExperience what the sights, sounds, and smells of Christmas were in the frontier Army with historic presentations on Victorian era holiday traditions,…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comRemember the legacy of the NPL.Last Saturday I had the opportunity to attend the annual meeting and dinner hosted by the Dakota Resource Council in Bismarck. I came in feeling a little defeated,…

By Ed Raymondfarggadfly@gmail.comDonald Trump: A Social-Psycho-on-Path Reproducing MAGA ZombiesI have been asking members of the Make Amerika Great Again (MAGA) cult for years to identify days, weeks, months, years, decades and/or…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.comThe temperatures have dropped and so have the leaves in the Upper Midwest. That means it's now the holiday season. Part of the joy of this special season for me is eating. But first things first.…

The Aquarium, 226 Broadway North upstairs, Downtown FargoFriday, December 8, 7:30-11pmDoors 7:30 pm // Music 8 pm21+ // $10 advance // $12 DOSOver two decades, Christmas songs have appeared throughout Owen Ashworth’s recorded…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.comAustralian filmmaker Kitty Green’s brilliant nonfiction movies, including the superb “Casting JonBenet,” laid the groundwork for the director’s recent interest in narrative features. In…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comA trio of Burleigh County artists are making their mark in Wing, North Dakota, to promote local foods and are quite literally painting the town, or at least the newly acquired Wing City Government…

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…