The GOLD standard

MOCAD’s modern art to shine at inaugural fundraiser

By K. Michelle Moran
Arts & Entertainment Editor

DETROIT — Detroit’s newest museum is about to become its hottest nightspot.

On March 29, the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit will be the site of GOLD, an inaugural fundraiser put on by the museum’s New Wave committee. For those purchasing $75 tickets, the evening begins at 7:30 p.m. with complimentary valet, food and beverages from local restaurants including Forte, Small Plates, Vincent’s, Slows and Tribute, and a film and audio collaboration by Martha Colburn and Ian Clark. For those who come at 9:30 p.m., admission is $15 for a concert of pop covers by some of the city’s hottest bands: The Go, T3, Lee Marvin Computer Arm, The Silent Years, Bad Party and Dee Jay Frankie Banks.

“The museum has done a good job of making sure that the event is very affordable, so everyone can mix and mingle,” said Grosse Pointe Shores native Joe Posch, a MOCAD supporter who’s donating a piece from his Detroit modern furniture and home design store Mezzanine to the GOLD auction.

The fundraiser is not only a way to raise money for the fledgling museum, but also a way to bring more people into MOCAD, said Peter Van Dyke, a member of the New Wave committee. Now a Detroit resident, the eastside Detroit and Harper Woods native said the committee decided to call the event GOLD because the precious metal can be found in art, fashion and pop culture.

Newcomers shouldn’t feel intimidated to step inside the museum, Van Dyke said.

“I think when (people) think of a contemporary art museum, they might think they won’t be able to engage with (the work)… (but MOCAD) is very inviting,” he said. “Everyone who works there is willing to introduce you to the art and talk to you. … And now they’ve opened a café. It’s a great place to hang out.”

In addition, the two exhibitions currently on display — “Holy Hip Hop! New Paintings by Alex Melamid” and “ReFusing Fashion: Rei Kawakubo” — are accessible on multiple levels.

“With ‘Holy Hip Hop!’ and ‘ReFusing Fashion’ on display, the New Wave wanted an event that draws an inherent connection between music, fashion and pop culture, and we discovered GOLD,” said New Wave Chair Phil Cooley in a prepared statement. “This party has something for everyone and allows attendees to make it their own, whether someone wants to buy a VIP ticket and wear a vintage gold dress or just wants to experience the art and hear the music.”

GOLD isn’t the typical museum fundraiser. Even its dress code — or, rather, lack thereof — breaks with tradition. Van Dyke expects guests from all over metro Detroit will show up in everything from cocktail dresses to casual Friday duds.

Posch said that’s usually the case at MOCAD functions.

“They’re always kind of cool and unexpected and edgier. … It’s kind of like highbrow and lowbrow all at once — and I mean that in the best possible way,” Posch said.

Housed in a former car dealership, the 22,000-square-foot MOCAD opened in late 2006. According to its mission statement, MOCAD’s goal is “to present art at the forefront of contemporary culture.” It does not have a permanent collection, but instead features various exhibits. The museum is open for visitors noon-5 p.m. Wednesday and Sunday, and 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Admission is free, although donations are welcome.

“There is no (other) contemporary art museum in Detroit,” Van Dyke said. “The DIA has a great collection of contemporary art … (but) the DIA is so encyclopedic, they can’t focus on any one genre. I think it’s important to have that and expose people to contemporary art. It fills a void in the Cultural District.”

Tickets can be reserved in advance or be purchased at the door. MOCAD is located at 4454 Woodward in Detroit. For tickets or more information, visit www.mocadetroit.org/gold or call (313) 832-6622.