Forget chicken dinners and stiff tuxedos. On May 3, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in La Jolla is throwing its first-ever Avant Garde Ball, and it’s anything but traditional.
The plans for the evening include DJs spinning global house and soul under moody lights, immersive art installations, many art-inspired outfits, and the Pacific Ocean serving as its backdrop. The theme is Contemporary Couture, and the Museum asks guests to dress like the art they want to see in the world. Think Met Gala-meets-streetwear-meets-performance-art, all set inside various gallery spaces.
“This is the inaugural year of The Avant Garde Ball, so we’ve had the exciting challenge of creating everything from the ground up in a way that we hope will keep people coming back year after year,” says Lesley Emery, MCASD’s director of special events. “One of the biggest creative decisions was forming a host committee made up of artists, community leaders, and cultural tastemakers. It’s been about co-creating something that feels fresh and reflects the creative energy of San Diego.”
She adds that the “original spark for The Avant Garde Ball was a desire to craft a new experience for a younger, creatively-minded audience—people who live and breathe art, fashion, music, and bold ideas.” She says the museum felt it needed a space that feels “less like a traditional gala, and more like a dynamic, high-energy celebration of contemporary culture. It’s for the boundary pushers, the style lovers, the people shaping what’s next—and it’s all happening here at MCASD.”
Translation: If you know, you go.
“This isn’t your typical gala, and definitely not what many might expect for a visit to a museum,” Emery says of the event, which is chaired by Anna Haudenschild Meier, Jennifer Nelson, and Alex High.
Inside the museum’s galleries at the fundraiser, guests will move through immersive artist activations, pop-up installations, and late-night snacks by Feast on This Catering. The music lineup includes DJ Myyon, who brings global beats, Cowbell Chris, who spins world sounds that melt into house, and DAUCHÉ, who dives deep into the soulful and underground. There will also be a hosted bar by Urban Kitchen Group, a surprise activation by Invasive Animal, curated video lounges, and other visual installations.
There’s also fashion, of course, as the main character. “Fashion has always been a key part of the avant-garde world, and we wanted to capture that same excitement seen at events like the Met Gala, where fashion is more than just clothing—it’s an extension of the theme, an art form in itself,” says Emery. “We made fashion central to this year’s event to give guests the chance to use their attire as a form of self-expression while embracing the avant-garde spirit of the night.”
Tickets are $250 online for non-members and $225 for members. VIP guests get the fantasy turned up a notch. For $450 for members or $500 for non-members, they’ll skip the bar line, meet featured artists, sip bubbly during early access to vintage installation Re:claimed, get their photo taken by photographer Stacy Keck, receive a limited-edition gift, and score a discount toward Avant Garde Membership.
Proceeds from The Avant Garde Ball support the museum’s mission to invite all audiences to experience the world, region, and each other through the prism of contemporary art. “At the end of the night we want The Avant Garde Ball to reflect what MCASD is all about—bringing people together through contemporary art,” she says. “Just like the museum, we’re creating a space that’s vibrant and welcoming, where guests can experience art in unexpected ways.”
