BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — If you’ve ever had an interest in art or are looking to start your own at-home collection, you have an opportunity to do so this week, and it’s all while giving back to our own local Bakersfield Museum of Art.
Artists like Rotem Reshef getting their spot in the limelight thanks to Bakersfield MOA. Reshef is featured in a new exhibit at the museum called “Vista.”
“In Rotem Reshef’s Vista, she collected native plant life and then took it and laid out on the canvas and then layered paint on top of it and then removed the plants from it. So essentially this is her love letter to Bakersfield,” said Amy Smith, executive director of BMOA.
Reshef’s love letter to Bakersfield is just one of many taking the form of artistic expression at the museum, and the museum makes it all happen through financial contributions through fundraisers just like ARTMIX.
“Artmix actually is a two part event for us. The first part is our benefactor reception, that starts at 5:30, and that’s where individuals, if they really want to find that special piece of art because it’s all first come first serve, they can do that,” Smith said.
The second part to the curated cocktail party includes an off-the-wall art sale featuring work by local and regional artists. Priced from $200-$600, pieces are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. The evening also includes a silent auction of works by several artists whose work has been shown at BMoA, including Yvonne Cavanaugh, Sydney Croskery, Pamela Smith Hudson, Rotem Reshef, Art Sherwyn, and Prapat Sirinavarat. Buyers will take their work home that same evening.
“This is a great opportunity for people, if you have a favorite artist already they’re probably represented,” Smith said. “We’re really kind of taking a cue from Rotem’s work here about her love letter to Bakersfield, we want to show local restaurants off, we want to show local and regional artists off.”
Food and cocktails will be featured from the following local eateries: Bord a Petite, Campo Bar + Bottle, El Puesto Cocina & Lounge, Flame & Fire Brazilian Steakhouse, The Kitchen, Locale Farm to Table, Mango Haus, Montoya Vineyards, Nuestro Mexico Restaurant, and Voktail.
Funds raised by this event going right back into the museum and it’s many programs, like their partnership with California State University, Bakersfield’s Fine Art Department. The museum partners with the department to allow their senior students to feature work in one of their exhibits.
“Bakersfield really tries to display a variety of different works but we know how important it is for local artists to have an opportunity here and our partnership with CSUB’s Fine Art Department allows us to do that,” said Smith. “That’s the nice thing about CSUB that they’re really trying to support artists in all different formats.”
Guests can also purchase opportunity draw tickets for a chance to win a catered brunch and tour of The Ablin House, a local home designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. General admission begins at 7:00 p.m. featuring a live set by local DJs Cat and Chuck 1. Creative, colorful cocktail attire is encouraged.
Guests will be welcomed at BMoA’s sculpture garden entrance at 19th and R Street. Ticket prices begin at $50 and are available both at bmoa.org/artmix and at the door.
