O
n Saturday, September
8, 2018, the Museum of
Contemporary Art San Diego
(MCASD) will again host the
city’s most highly anticipated
fundraiser of the year: The Monte Carlo
gala. The 42nd annual gala, themed “An
Art Affair,” will be held at the private Rancho
Santa Fe home of devoted arts patrons and
ARTnews Top 200 Art Collectors, Iris and
Matthew Strauss.
The couple’s 21,000 square-foot estate,
Rancho del Arte, is filled with hundreds
of works by internationally recognized
artists from the 1980s to the present. Gala
attendees will have the opportunity to take
curator-led tours of the collection during
the event.
Long-time MCASD supporters Iris Strauss,
Joan Jacobs and Karen Cohn are serving as
co-chairs for the event, leading a committee
of 36 community philanthropists - including
several MCASD Trustees - who will help
execute the exclusive affair.
“There are so many passionate people in
our community who care deeply about the
Museum of Contemporary Art,” said Iris
Strauss, who supports a variety of arts and
cultural institutions throughout San Diego,
and serves on the Board of the Moores
Cancer Center at the University of California,
San Diego. “We want to harness their
energy and make this event truly the best
it has ever been.”
Museum of Contemporary Art
La Jolla Campus Expansion
With a nod to the very early days of the
Museum’s Monte
Carlo fundraiser,
guests will don
black-tie finery for
an over-the-top
glamorous fête
that will include
fine dining, live
entertainment,
charity gambling
and dancing under
the stars. Many
artists whose work
is included in the Museum’s permanent
collection will be in attendance at the event.
“Infusing art into every aspect of the event
is a very important element to us,” said
Karen Cohn, who has served on MCASD’s
Board of Trustees since 2014 and attended
Monte Carlo as far back as the early 90s.
“Contemporary art is the reason we’re all
here, so why shouldn’t it be center stage?”
The evening will begin with a cocktail hour at
6:30 PM followed by an al fresco dinner at 8
PM. Guests will enter through the Strauss’
art-filled gallery as they make their way to
the outdoor dining room, where a large LED
wall will display video art from the Museum’s
permanent collection as guests enjoy dinner.
All funds raised at the event will provide vital
support for MCASD’s ambitious exhibition
schedule and education programs. This
year is critically important for MCASD as it
embarks upon a transformational expansion
of its flagship La Jolla campus. The multi-
year project, which will quadruple current
gallery space from 10,000 to 40,000 square
feet, will allow MCASD to continually show
works from its outstanding permanent
collection in addition to temporary
exhibitions. Many exciting public amenities
are planned including two levels of light-filled
galleries, a public park, several ocean-view
patios and terraces on different levels, a new
book store and much more.
Strauss, Cohn and Jacobs have all been
strong supporters of the Capital Campaign,
and the Museum is grateful for their
continued support.
“The Museum is preparing to become an even
greater asset to the San Diego community,”
said Joan Jacobs, who has supported the
Capital Campaign, along with her husband
Irwin Jacobs, from its inception. “We couldn’t
be more thrilled to support the Museum as
it enters this new era.”
Monte Carlo sponsors include Van Cleef &
Arpel, South Coast Plaza, and Oscar de la
Renta. Modern Luxury is the exclusive media
partner for the event.
Tickets for the gala may be purchased for
$1500 to $2500 per person at
www.mcasd.org/montecarlo.
JULY 2018 | GBSAN.COM 41