Magritte: Mystery of the Ordinary, 1926-1938 opened last week at the Art Institute of Chicago, and to celebrate the new exhibition—and the surrealist artist —the museum gave its Woman's Board and Board of Trustees gala a "Surrealistically Chic" theme on June 20. Invitees were invited to preview the exhibit and experienced a taste of the artist's whimsy throughout the whole evening.
HMR Designs handled design for the gala. The firm's creative director, Bill Heffernan, said the decor was a "playful, almost cartoonish take on Magritte's work." Along with 45 floating clouds, decorative touches included a giant bowler-hat centerpiece, LED-lit cubes holding single green apples, and cloudy projections from Frost. The in-house Bon Appetit Catering also got whimsical with its offerings, which ranged from a top-it-yourself pretzel bar to beer sorbet.
Here's a look inside the imaginative evening, which drew 500 guests and raised $1.3 million. The exhibition will run through October 13.
