Janelle Monae wowed crowd at MCA’s 50th anniversary gala

A true Who’s Who of Chicago’s social, civic and corporate scenes were among the more than 600 guests who gathered Saturday night at the Museum of Contemporary Art — toasting both the museum’s 50th birthday and the opening of famed Japanese artist Takashi Murakami’s “The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg” exhibition. The exhibit is Murakami’s first museum retrospective in North American in 10 years.

Among the notables at the gala, which raised $3 million for MCA future exhibitions, performances and education programming, were Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago first lady Amy Rule, Leslie Bluhm and David Helfand, Nancy and Steven Crown, Dr. Julius Few, Vicki and Bill Hood, Ikram and Josh Goldman, Desiree Rogers, Cari and Michael Sacks, Larry Gagosian, museum co-founder and noted collector Beatrice Mayer, Sally and Jonathan Kovler, and artists Hebru Brantley, Nick Cave and Theaster Gates.

Pharrell Williamsaddressed the crowd via a video message — as he was in Manchester, England, attending the special concert organized by Ariana Grande to honor those killed and injured in the recent terrorist bombing. Williams served as musical curator for the MCA gala’s program — and introduced his friend, singer and actress Janelle Monae, who co-starred in this year’s Academy Award-winning best picture, “Moonlight,” as well as the acclaimed and Oscar-nominated “Hidden Figures.”

Monae dazzled the audience with a selection of her top hits and while on stage told the crowd, “If you support artists, you support freedom.”

As the MCA Pritzker Director Madeleine Grynsztejn told the assembled museum supporters, “We are celebrating the visionary group of Chicagoans who, 50 years ago, decided our amazing city needed a contemporary art museum. We also are celebrating the museum’s redesign, a project that propels us into the next 50 years.” Grynsztejn also paid tribute to the evening’s co-chairs: Marlene Breslow-Blitstein and Berle Blitstein, Helyn Goldenberg and Michael Alper, James Litinsky and Pamela Netzky and Ashley Hemphill-Netzky.