The University of Wyoming Art Museum National Advisory Board will host its largest annual fundraising event of the year, the Bootlegger Ball, from 6 p.m. to midnight Saturday.
“This is a black tie event and we are expecting about 400 people to attend,” Susan Moldenhauer, director and chief curator of the UW Art Museum, said.
“We pretty much take up the entire second floor of the Union,” Moldenhauer said.
Dinner and dancing to Full Bas-mati will be in the Union Ballroom. The Full Bas-mati is a local big band comprised of community and faculty members. They play a variety of music, and in keeping with the bootlegger theme of the event will probably play tunes from the 1920’s, Moldenhauer said.
There are about 300 items scheduled to be available for silent auction. Everything for the ordinary to the extraordinary will be spread throughout the Senate chambers and the Union Family Room.
In addition to the silent auction, five major works of art will go to the highest bidders in a live auction. Raffle tickets will also be sold for a diamond ring and a $1000 Visa gift card.
Last year, the event raised about $225,000, and that is the goal set for funds this year.
“The money is program money,” Moldenhauer said. It is used to fund education programs, acquire the collections and fund the various exhibits in the art museum.
This year the gala will also honor FMC Corporation for its longtime involvement with the fundraising efforts of the museum. FMC is a company based in Green River that mines sodium carbonate and soda ash for pulp and paper companies. It is also used in glass production and the manufacturing of other chemicals.
The three main corporate contributors to the UW art museum this year are FMC Corporation, Cloud Peak Energy Resources and Rocky Mountain Power.
Academia will be represented by deans and presidents of the colleges, including UW President Tom Buchanan and his wife, Jacque, who are also co-chairs for the event.
The gala took about six months to plan and prepare. Anyone wanting to volunteer for event is welcome to contact Moldenhauer or the other chairs.
