The PR Net | Paul Thomas | October 17, 2024
“Museum of Art + Light Hosts Inaugural ‘First Impressions Gala’”
https://theprnet.com/news/19243

The Museum of Art+ Light (MoA+L) hosted the inaugural First Impressions Gala, which is poised to become an annual event. The MoA+L team welcomed over 500 prominent community members to enjoy a presentation of the newly built 100,000-square-foot creative campus. This event not only introduced the museum to the Manhattan community but also established the MoA+L as an anchor tenant for arts and culture in both the thriving local community and the ever-changing digital art community at large.

The First Impressions Gala also acted as an opportunity to highlight the MoA+L’s partnership with Iconic, a leading digital art platform. MoA+L and Iconic have come together to bring the work of five world-renowned digital artists to the MoA+L’s De Coded Digital Gallery in an exhibition titled Code & Canvas: Defining Digital Art in the Age of Blockchain. This groundbreaking exhibition, featuring new and renowned pieces by Erick “Snowfro” Calderon, Tyler Hobbs, Sasha Stiles, Grant Yun, and Emily Xie, marks the first time a traditional museum has dedicated an entire gallery to collect and display digital art permanently.

“It was a joy to welcome people to the Museum of Art+ Light,” said Museum director Erin Dragotto. “The event was an incredible preview of our exhibitions, including our cutting-edge partnership with Iconic and digital artists; the first solo museum presentation by Mads Christensen; and a peek into the personal collections of Museum founders Tracey H. & Robert L. DeBruyn, Ronald Bowman, and Stanley E. Zukowfsky. We look forward co welcoming everyone to the Museum at our public opening on November 8.”

The Museum of Art + Light welcomed notable guests including Museum founders and board members Robert and Tracey DeBruyn, Stanley Zukowfsky, and Ronald Bowman; digital artists Erick “Snowfro” Calderon, Tyler Hobbs, Sasha Stiles, and Emily Xie; artist Mads Christensen; gallerist Timothy Yarger; artist Dean Mitchell; Iconic founder Chris Cummings; MoA+L Creative Director of immersive Experiences Sydney Bouhaniche, MoA+L Vice President of Leaming Engagement & Visitor Experiences Kristy Peterson,
MoA+L Board of Directors: Dr. Arthur S. DeGroat, Ed.D, Lt. Col. Ret., Julie Hostetler, Dr. Bryan Pinkall, Jim Rickabaugh, Robert Romanet; Senator Usha Reddi, Mayor Pro Tempore Karen McCulloh, Colonel Gerry Nunziato, Senator Tom Hawk, former Kansas State University football coach Bill Snyder, and Traci Brimhall, Poet Laureate of Kansas.

The Museum also auctioned off two original paintings by Dean Mitchell, including Burn Out, based on a structure in East Orange, New Jersey, and Barn Door, inspired by a building in Quincy, Florida.

Pictured: Museum Executive Director Erin Dragotto with founders Robert and Tracey DeBruyn.

The full article can be read here.