Northern Trust to sponsor May 2, 2017 event
In celebration of the upcoming premiere of Yves Saint Laurent: The Perfection of Style, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts will host a black-tie fundraising gala on Tuesday, May 2, 2017. VMFA is the exclusive East Coast venue for the exhibition, which features more than 100 haute couture and ready-to-wear garments drawn from the unparalleled collection of the Paris-based Fondation Pierre Bergé – Yves Saint Laurent and other private collections. The exhibition will be on view May 6–August 27, 2017.
The presenting sponsor for the Yves Saint Laurent Gala is Northern Trust, a Chicago-based financial services firm. In 2015, Northern Trust joined the museum’s circle of corporate partners as a sponsor of Rodin: Evolution of a Genius, an innovative exploration of the sculptor’s creative process that featured nearly 200 works. Following the success of Rodin, which captivated critics and attracted more than 87,000 visitors, Northern Trust increased its commitment to the museum with its gala sponsorship.
“Northern Trust is proud to partner with VMFA to support the celebration and exhibition of the stunning work of an iconic and elegant designer. Since our founding in 1889, Northern Trust has advanced a culture of caring and a commitment to invest in the communities we serve. Our sponsorship will help further VMFA’s mission to enrich the lives of those in the Richmond area and the Commonwealth of Virginia. We look forward to experiencing the enjoyment of this stylish exhibition and the significance it will have in our community,” said Brett Rees, President of Northern Trust’s Mid-Atlantic Region.
Organized by a volunteer committee, led by Margaret and Sarge Reynolds and Deborah and Thomas Valentine, the gala will be hosted in museum’s galleries and event spaces. Six hundred guests will be among the first to preview the exhibition; the evening’s program also includes a seated dinner and reception. Proceeds from the gala will support the costs of the exhibition.
“We are grateful to Northern Trust for its generous support of the Yves Saint Laurent Gala. It’s only fitting that we welcome this stunning retrospective of one of the 20th century’s most daring and influential designers with a grand gesture,” said VMFA Director Alex Nyerges. “VMFA strives to bring the best of world art to Virginia through our exhibition program. We could not produce the exceptional exhibitions that our members and visitors have come to expect from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts without the partnership of corporate patrons such as Northern Trust, as well as our dedicated Foundation Directors led by President Kelly Armstrong and a host of individual supporters.”
For more information about the Yves Saint Laurent Gala, please contact Sarah Burgess at 804.204.2676.
About Northern Trust
Founded in 1889 as a Chicago-based bank, Northern Trust has grown as a global financial services provider with more than 20 international locations and 16,500 employees around the world. Northern Trust’s principles survived and thrived during the Great Depression, two world wars and the 2008 financial crisis. They have been voted A World’s Most Ethical Company by Ethisphere Institute in 2017 for the fourth consecutive year and the Best Private Bank in the US by Financial Times and Global Finance in 2016.
About the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, Virginia, is one of the largest comprehensive art museums in the United States. VMFA, which opened in 1936, is a state agency and privately endowed educational institution. Its purpose is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret art, and to encourage the study of the arts. Through the Office of Statewide Partnerships program, the museum offers curated exhibitions, arts-related audiovisual programs, symposia, lectures, conferences, and workshops by visual and performing artists. In addition to presenting a wide array of special exhibitions, the museum provides visitors with the opportunity to experience a global collection of art that spans more than 5,000 years. VMFA’s permanent holdings encompass more than 35,000 artworks, including the largest public collection of Fabergé outside of Russia, the finest collection of Art Nouveau outside of Paris, and one of the nation’s finest collections of American art. VMFA is home to important collections of English silver and Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, British sporting, and modern and contemporary art, as well as renowned South Asian, Himalayan, and African art. In May 2010, VMFA opened its doors to the public after a transformative expansion, the largest in its 80-year history. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is the only art museum in the United States open 365 days a year with free general admission. For additional information, telephone 804-340-1400 or visit www.vmfa.museum.
Media contact:
Anthony Backherms | anthony.backherms@vmfa.museum | 804.204.2705
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 200 N. Boulevard, Richmond VA 23220-4007