Locust Projects’ 25th Anniversary Benefit Dinner

Photography by Kyle McLaughlin on February 25th, 2023 in Lifestyle

Miami, FL – February 25, 2023 – On Saturday, February 25, Locust Projects, Miami’s longest running alternative art space, held its 25th Anniversary Benefit Dinner in its new home. The unique artist-envisioned dining experience honored longtime arts philanthropist and Locust Board Member, Dede Moss, whose visionary leadership matching grant supported the organization’s milestone move to an 8,000 square foot warehouse in Little River propelling Locust into its next chapter.

The event also celebrated the inaugural exhibition by artist Rafael Domenech who was in residence at Locust for a month building a massive, pavilion-like setting designed to transform over the course of the exhibition with each public activation, starting with the Benefit Dinner.

The dinner, created by the artist in collaboration with Le Basque Catering, served as a “Gesamtkunstwerk,” or a work of art itself, upending traditional gala-goer expectations with a performative twist on traditional interactions between guests and servers along with an ever-morphing architecture. Guests activated the space dressed in single-hued chic and monochromatic ensembles and enjoyed a menu of delicious delicacies in black and white along with wines from Fun Wines, Réserve Mouton Cadet, and the Golden Hog.

Co-Chaired by Diane Grob, Lourdes Jofre Collett, Debra Scholl, Dennis Scholl, and Munisha Underhill, the sold-out event welcomed 150 guests. Among notable attendees were Locust Projects board members, Miami arts leaders, collectors, and patrons, including Ashley Abess and Matthew Vander Werff, Susan and Richard Arregui, Karen Bechtel, Silvia Karman Cubiñá, Elizabeth Petersen Hoelle, Clive King, George Lindemann, Jr., Gail Myers, Nedra and Mark Oren, Patricia Papper, Dorothy and Aaron Podhurst, Janet Shein, Franklin Sirmans, Fredric Snitzer, Alexa Wolman, and Jennifer Farah, representing the event’s Major Sponsor, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.