Photos by Drew Altizer
On a warm spring evening, 900 Bay Area young professionals donned their 1980s glamour finest and gathered at the de Young Museum for Mëtal et Monet: Into the Garden, ArtPoint’s Annual Gala, a no-holdsbarred evening of live music, libations, and high fashion. Such a night could only be dreamt up by ArtPoint, the young professionals group of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, who drew inspiration from the critically acclaimed exhibition, Monet: The Late Years, which received more than 100,000 visitors in its first month on view.
In a whimsical nod to Monet’s epic love affair with his garden and his enduring rockstar status, the de Young Museum was transformed into a 1980s greenhouse by Blueprint Studios and Got Light. Guests matched the decor, drawing on 1980s vintage couture, metallics, and the subversive style of metal music. A special performance by Mëtal Strëet Böyz (the latest spin-off from legendary Bay Area band Tainted Love) cemented the “Mëtal et Monet” theme. DJ KingMost (Patrick Diaz) mashed up just the right amount of 80s metal with contemporary vibes for an expected musical set that blended genres and languages into a unique style all his own.
Attendees were treated to brews from Fort Point Brewing Co., wines by Gerard Bertrand, Larkmead Vineyards, and Vinebox, and a selection of custom cocktails by Junípero Gin, Stillhouse Whiskey, and Grey Goose Vodka, and noshed on a selection of seasonal bites by Betty Zlatchin.
