For over 60 years, the prestigious Museum Ball of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) has been one of the most anticipated social events for the movers and shakers of the city. After a two-year hiatus, on Saturday, November 26, under the theme of PRISMA, the 900 guests invited to the 62nd edition of the MMFA Ball were greeted by a vibrant universe full of colour.

Mathieu Lacombe, Minister of Culture and Communications; and Geneviève Guilbault, Deputy Premier | Photo Sébastien Roy

The exclusive gala celebrated a veritable icon of Quebec culture, multidisciplinary artist Françoise Sullivan, who was guest of honour.

From left to right: Jean-François Côté, Museum Ball 2022 Co-President; Maxime Ménard, Ball 2022 Honorary President; Stéphane Aquin, MMFA Director General; Françoise Sullivan, Ball 2022 Guest of Honor; Jo-Anne Duchesne, MMFA Foundation Executive Director; Sylvie Demers, MMFA Foundation Board of Directors President; and André Dufour, MMFA Board President | Photo Frédéric Faddoul

Painting, dance, sculpture, performance art… During an exceptionally long career spanning more than seven decades, Sullivan was a pioneer in each of these fields, in addition to signing the iconoclastic 1948 manifesto Refus global.

Guest of honor Françoise Sullivan and Montreal mayor Valérie Plante at MMFA Ball 2022

Guests were given an opportunity to visit the major new exhibition Seeing Loud: Basquiat and Music, before sitting down to a gourmet meal devised and put together by renowned Montreal hotel restaurant chefs. The nine spectacular banquet halls were expertly decorated by artistic director Anne-Séguin Poirier to create an enchanting atmosphere.

MMFA Ball 2022 | Photo Laurence Hervieux-Gosselin

Many of these halls were adorned with four ephemeral murals created by Swiss artist Nicolas Party for his exhibition L’heure mauve, which was all the rage at the Museum this past spring.

Artists Myriam Dion and Muriel Ahmarani Jaouich at MMFA Ball 2022 | Photo Sébastien Roy

To top it off, the Museum After-Ball – an elegant yet festive event designed specifically for 100 members of the Young Philanthropists’ Circle – was also back this year.

MMFA Ball 2022 | Photo Frédéric Faddoul

After sipping champagne, eating bites and visiting the Basquiat exhibition, they danced the night away in the Hall of Bronzes, along with all the other guests of the 62nd edition of the Museum Ball.

MMFA Ball 2022 | Photo Sébastien Roy

Here is what you need to know about the Museum Ball

Founded in 1860, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) is the oldest art museum in Canada and a leading museum in North America. Its collection showcases Quebec and Canadian heritage and international art from a critical and intercultural perspective, and comprises more then 45,000 paintings, sculptures, graphic art works, photographs, multimedia installations and decorative art objects dating from antiquity to the present.

The annual Museum Ball is a fundraising event that is vital to maintaining the operations and activities of the Museum which, since it is a non-profit organization, must rely on self-financing to fund nearly 60% of its operating budget. Over $1.2 million in net proceeds were raised this year. These funds will enable the enhancement of the collection, the presentation of major exhibitions, the development of numerous educational and wellness programs, and the realization of other initiatives.

MMFA Ball 2022 | Photo Sébastien Roy

The next edition of the Museum Ball will be held on November 18, 2023. Book your tickets now at the following email address: baldumusee@mbamtl.org

Featured image credit: MMFA Ball 2022 | Photo Sébastien Roy

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