ICA Gala: Avant-garden

April 18, 2026
6 p.m. Reception
7 p.m. Dinner
9 p.m. After-party

Dress Code:
Creative Formal
Like spring bulbs breaking ground, we invite you to step out in your finest creative flair, inspired by all things natural, floral, artistic, and avant-garde.

Location:
Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University
Markel Center
601 W Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23220

Imagine an evening where art comes alive, and your support directly empowers the future of contemporary expression.

Experience the art of giving at this immersive, unforgettable evening. Located at the iconic Markel Center, this special event features curated experiences influenced by contemporary art and culture that are designed to uplift and delight. Proceeds directly support the ICA’s mission to listen, to create, and to make art public, and your participation enables the creation of groundbreaking exhibitions that foster learning and dialogue through gallery installations, programs, publications, and the commissioning of new and ambitious works of art by emerging and established artists.

Inspired by the natural world and the emergent, cutting-edge, and ever more ambitious nature of the ICA’s artistic program, the theme of this year’s gala is Avant-garden. Please join us in this extraordinary celebration of cultural leadership and artistic excellence alongside 450 fellow guests—arts supporters, community partners, artists, and art world leaders—for an unforgettable evening of creative cocktails and culinary delights, stories of art and impact, and lively entertainment.

Whether you join us at the gala dinner or amp up the energy at the after-party, we invite you to experience this opportunity to celebrate creativity and connect with fellow arts supporters!

Ways to participate:

ICA Gala Individual Sponsorship
ICA Gala Corporate Sponsorship

Add your name to the notification list for when tickets go on sale in early 2026. Please note that after-party tickets are included with gala tickets and sponsorships. After-party tickets may also be purchased separately by non-gala attendees.

For more information, please contact Maya Erhardt by email at erhardtmb@vcu.edu or by phone at 804.828.2815.

ICA Gala Sponsors:

Dinner Sponsor

In-Kind Sponsor
Stauer

Table Sponsors
Main Projects
Reynolds Gallery
VMFA

ICA Gala Host Committee

Thank you to our wonderful committee members who are serving as table hosts and working to make the ICA Gala a wonderful night to remember!

ICA Anniversary Party Host Committee

Host Committee Chairs
Pam Royall
Marcia and Harry Thalhimer

Host Committee
Richard Birnbaum
Gwen Burroughs
Adrienne Hines Burrus
David and Christy Cottrell
Molly Dodge
Birch Douglass
Jack and Nita Enoch
BK Fulton and Jackie Stone
Dean Giavos and Rachel Lamel
Freddie and Lawrence Gray
Bruce Gray
True Harrigan and Jay Collier
Terrell and Elliott Harrigan
Hiter and Jil Harris
Cynthia and Charles Holmes
Steve and Wendy Humble
Karen and Pat Kelly
John and Deborah Kemper
Jim Klaus and Brent Morris
Alice and Mac Livingston
Nancy Brennan Lund and Leo Yeager
Steve and Kathie Markel
Brian and Laura Martin Mills
Julia and Reilly Monroe
Abby Moore
Joe and Caroline Murillo
Jay and Marsha Olander (Dana Foundation)
Angel and Tom Papa
James Prosek
Celia Rafalko
John Ravenal and Virginia Pye
John Reynolds
Dick Robertson
Brock and Alexandra Saunders
Mike Schewel and Priscilla Burbank
Tracy and Tom Stallings
Each Other (Sam Taylor and Liza Pittard)
Eric and Rob Thomas-Suwall
Deborah and Thomas Valentine
Waqas Wajahat
Julie and Paul Weissend
Jimmy Wheat
Elizabeth and J.D. Wright
Lorna and Randy Wyckoff

Information is current as of October 16, 2025.