It’s The Met’s Second-Biggest Party of the Year. There’s Nothing Small About It.

Hollein then announced that the evening had raised $5 million, a new record for the event and a massive haul for any museum, though not quite in the same stratosphere as that of…the Met Gala, which raised $31 million this year for the Costume Institute. And then he pressed play on a short film made especially for the evening, featuring two living artists with work in The Met’s collection, Wangechi Mutu and Alex Katz. It was projected onto the gigantic walls that house the Temple of Dendur, everyone in their penguin suits rapt with awe. Each artist picked an object from The Met’s collection; Mutu homed in on a nearly 3,000-year-old statue of Osiris, while Katz chose an Edgar Degas drawing of Mary Cassatt at the Louvre.

At the end of the video, Katz summed up the night’s whole vibe, saying, “In all my experiences in New York, the happiest day I ever had was when I came into The Met and saw my painting.”

“What do you think about your art adding to The Metropolitan Museum’s collection?” the interviewer asked.

“I think it’s a big asset!” Katz said, laughing.

And just because we’re so excited…we have to mention…

Across the country, another museum is announcing some big news: The Vanity Fair Oscar Party is moving to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

That’s right—the best party on Hollywood’s biggest night will now be held at the brand-new campus for LACMA, a month before it’s set to open to the public. The Peter Zumthor–designed building is already winning over the hearts and minds of Angelenos, and it’s a great privilege to bring this historic event to perhaps the most anticipated new fortress of art constructed this century.

“The idea of Hollywood has never been more expansive than it is today,” said Mark Guiducci, global editorial director of Vanity Fair, when announcing the new venue. “The film industry intersects with so many disciplines, and the silos between them are breaking down. Artists make films. Sports stars are producers. Movie moguls fund art museums. And technology is embedded throughout. We’re thrilled to capture that energy with a cultural institution that undergirds the importance of Los Angeles and the industry at a time when Vanity Fair and LACMA are both entering exciting new chapters.”

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