The Power Plant is viewed as the leading public gallery devoted to contemporary visual art in Canada. Among its donor base, the Toronto institution is as known for edgy, thought-provoking events as it is for provocative art. Gaëtane Verna became director of the gallery—the first woman to assume the position—in 2012.
Verna came to the gallery with a strong artistic background. After living in Paris and studying art for eight years, the Montreal native returned to Canada and became the curator at the Foreman Art Gallery at Bishop’s University. Following that, she served as the director and chief curator of the Musée d’art de Joliette in Joliette, Quebec. In her current role, Verna’s overall duties include guiding the Power Plant’s artistic direction.
Verna also has a significant hand in the museum’s fund-raising events and oversees a team of five development staffers who plan annual benefits such as the Power Ball. “Power Ball is unlike any gala in Toronto or Canada,” Verna says. “Our creative process is an ongoing collaborative effort between the Power Plant’s curatorial department and our dynamic development department. Power Ball is on our minds throughout the year and throughout our travels, so we are always seeking the most innovative trends and artists from across the globe year after year, in order to come up with fresh themes that can be matched with the most recent developments in arts, music, fashion, and food.”
In 2015, the event had an “Appetite for Excess” theme that translated into unusual encounters with food. Presented by luxury brand Max Mara, the evening drew 1,500 guests. For attendees who bought in at the $500 ticket level, Verna was determined to provide an experience that trumped a typical sponsor perk. Instead of a plated dinner, the V.I.P. guests got an entirely different experience. Food artist Jennifer Rubell presented an interactive experience in which hands appeared through holes in the table, serving guests one morsel at a time. The event also featured a chandelier made of octopus, staffers throwing potato chips at guests, and bartenders seated in theater seats instead of standing behind the bar.
The Power Ball’s 18th iteration will be held in June. “We will continue to showcase edgy, contemporary culture without any compromise,” Verna says.
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