Elton’s Eve
Elton John will be the performer at the 11th annual LACMA Art+ Film Gala, cochaired by Eva Chow and Leonardo DiCaprio and presented by Gucci, on Nov. 5 in Los Angeles, California.
“The Art+ Film Gala has showcased many incredibly talented musicians over the years, and to have an icon like Elton on stage this year is beyond exciting. He’s such a legendary entertainer and I know his performance will be unforgettable,” Chow said in a statement.
The performance will be a lead up to the final U. S. dates of John’s “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” retirement tour, which has taken him to five continents for more than 350 performances since September 2018.
Gucci has had a long relationship with the star, who has been a muse for artistic director Alessandro Michele. The spring 2018 Gucci runway show was inspired by John’s onstage looks, with sparkly swimming caps, satin shell suits, rhinestone- studded jumpsuits and chunky platform boots. That year, Gucci introduced “Levon,” a capsule collection inspired by John’s 1971 single of the same name.
Michele also has designed costumes for John’s farewell tour, including an embroidered tailcoat, a printed suit and dressing gown over a tracksuit.
John won’t be the only one in the spotlight at the gala.
Artist Helen Pashgian and filmmaker Park Chan-wook are the honorees at the event.
Living and working in Pasadena, California, 88-yearold Pashgian is an American visual artist and figure in the Light and Space art movement of the ’ 60s. LACMA presented “Helen Pashgian: Light Invisible” in 2014, the first large- scale sculptural installation by the artist.
Chan-wook, 58, is a South Korean film director, producer, screenwriter and former film critic. He is best known for his films “Joint Security Area,” “Thirst,” “The Handmaiden,” “Decision to Leave” and what fans call “The Vengeance Trilogy” with “Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance,” “Oldboy” and “Lady Vengeance.”
LACMA’s star- studded Art+ Film Gala honors artists and filmmakers, and raises funds for the museum’s initiatives, exhibitions and programming. Canceled in 2020 due to COVID- 19, last year’s in- person event recognized artists Amy Sherald, Kehinde Wiley and filmmaker Steven Spielberg, raising $ 5 million and bringing the total to $ 40 million over the decade. The night brought out the likes of Billie Eilish,
Jeff Bezos, Paul Mescal with Phoebe Bridgers, Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal, Chris Martin, Dakota Johnson, Olivia Wilde and Hailey Bieber.