Hammer Museum gala honoring Jordan Peele and Judy Chicago raised $2.7M

The UCLA Hammer Museum raised $2.7 million during a star-studded gala Oct. 12.

The gala saw notable guests including filmmaker Jordan Peele, feminist writer and activist Gloria Steinem, feminist artist Judy Chicago and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.

Five hundred people attended the 17th annual Gala in the Garden, held every year to raise money for the Hammer Museum’s exhibitions and programs, all of which are free to the public.

The Hammer Museum, part of he UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture, has more than 50,000 pieces in its collection. It also hosts public events and programs including lectures, music programs and screenings.

The gala chooses two artists from different fields to honor each year, this year honoring Peele and Chicago.

Peele and Chicago were honored with speeches by actress Roxanne Gay and feminist writer Gloria Steinem, respectively.

Peele was celebrated for his direction of films “Get Out” and “Us,” both of which grossed over $255 million each. Peele also won an Oscar in 2018 for best original screenplay for “Get Out.”

Steinem celebrated Chicago, a UCLA alumna, for her decades of work creating feminist art.

[Related: Alumna Judy Chicago promotes a feminist conversation on sexuality through art]

The gala was co-chaired by director J. J. Abrams, actress Katie McGrath, fashion designer Tom Ford and journalist Richard Buckley. It closed with a music number by musician Beck and a surprise appearance by Martin.

Last year’s gala honored Margaret Atwood, known for her book and TV show “The Handmaid’s Tale,” and Glenn Ligon, an American conceptual artist whose work focuses on issues of race and sexuality.

The event included linen napkins decorated with Chicago’s art piece “Rejection Fantasy,” and free tequila.