Manetti Shrem Museum Gala Raises Funds for Education and Student Fire Relief

The Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art welcomed friends and supporters to its annual gala on January 25. The evening raised over $400,000, including $45,000 for the UC Davis Foundation Board Student Fire Relief Fund. Visionary art collector and advocate Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo and the late Manuel Neri, a pioneering artist and member of UC Davis’ art faculty, received the Margrit Mondavi Arts Medallion honoring their leadership and championing of creativity in the arts.

It was a cosmopolitan crowd at the gala that night, featuring VIPs from the worlds of art, politics, finance and tech, with a roster of starry guests including Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, UC Davis Chancellor Gary S. May and founding museum donor Maria Manetti Shrem. Along with an elegant multi-course meal from McCalls catering, attendees got a first look at two new exhibits: the US debut of works from Sandretto Re Rebaudengo’s contemporary collection, and Ruby Neri’s colorful, large-scale ceramics. A popular tentpole event on the year’s social calendar, each year the Manetti Shrem Museum Gala raises critical funds to ensure that its art and educational outreach programs can remain free and accessible for everyone.