Gucci-Sponsored Event LACMA Announce Their 2021 Honourees

The Gucci-sponsored Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) has finally announced the honourees of its 2021 Art+Film Gala. Later this year, on 6 November, LACMA will honour artists Amy Sherald and Kehinde Wiley (the first Black artists to be commissioned to paint the official portraits of a U.S. president and First Lady in 2018) and legendary film director Steven Spielberg for its 10th annual event.

From 7 November 2021 through to 2 January 2022, Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama by Amy Sherald and Barack Obama by Kehinde Wiley will be on view at LACMA in the West Coast presentation of The Obama Portraits Tour, organised by the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. Black American Portraits, a complementary exhibition examining two centuries of Black portraiture - which will be drawn from LACMA's permanent collection - will be on view from 7 November 2021 until 17 April 2022.

Coinciding with Gucci's centenary celebrations, the Italian luxury house will continue as sponsor of the gala, with the house's creative director Alessandro Michele staging his next fashion show in L.A. earlier that week. The month of November 2021 is shaping up to be quite an exciting one for Gucci fans as the 'The House of Gucci' film - documenting the turbulent marriage and divorce of Patrizia and Maurizio Gucci starring Lady Gaga and Adam Driver - is also set to debut.

LACMA CEO Michael Govan said in a statement that 'Art and film are both irreplaceable experiences through which we can better understand ourselves and others', something which we can only imagine Alessandro Michele furiously nodding to in agreement. Last year, Gucci's mini-film series presented as part of GucciFest saw the brand delve into the world of film in a way they never had before. IGTV rolled out seven mini-episodes titled the Ouverture of Something That Never Ended, which were all directed by Michele and filmmaker Gus Van Sant. GucciFest also exhibited films by other designers; Ahluwalia, Stefan Cooke, Mowalola, Bianca Saunders, Gareth Wrighton, JORDANLUCA and Gui Rosa were among the lucky 15 that all took part. Commenting on Michele's expansive approach to fashion and his mission to break down gender barriers using a myriad of creative practices - from fashion to film - SHOWstudio's features editor Hetty Mahlich noted:

'Inviting the voices of other creatives to share their own unique fantasies under the Gucci umbrella was perhaps the best signifier of the welcoming attitude Michele's Gucci is taking on, rare to the exclusive nature of luxury brands. Whether you're dressed to the nines in Gucci or wearing any of the other brilliant designers, the Gucci universe welcomes you with open arms.'

Proceeds from the annual Art+Film Gala go toward underwriting LACMA's film programming, while funding exhibitions and educational resources that explore the intersection of art and film.