1/2/2002
Fire & Ice
Mass MoCA, North Adams
A Winter Ball. Mass Moca will offer a chance to celebrate ancient rituals in the best contemporary style on February 2. Since ancient times, February 2 (modern Groundhog Day) has been celebrated as a harbinger of spring and renewal. Falling halfway between Yule and the spring equinox, the date - also called Candlemas - involves ancient celebrations to banish the winter and welcome spring and new beginnings with fire, candles, and other symbols of the sun's rebirth.
A Winter Ball at MASS MoCA
(North Adams, Massachusetts) - MASS MoCA will offer a chance to celebrate
ancient rituals in the best contemporary style on February 2 with Fire &
Ice: A Winter Ball. Led by a dynamic gala committee that includes Governor
Jane Swift, artist Jenny Holzer, actress Kate Burton and others, MASS MoCA's
Winter Ball promises to be a memorable event and an important benefit for
the museum's exhibition fund.
Since ancient times, February 2 (modern Groundhog Day) has been celebrated
as a harbinger of spring and renewal. Falling halfway between Yule and the
spring equinox, the date -- also called Candlemas -- involves ancient
celebrations to banish the winter and welcome spring and new beginnings with
fire, candles, and other symbols of the sun's rebirth.
"At the risk of seeming immodest, I'd say MASS MoCA's galas are legendary,"
said Joseph Thompson, MASS MoCA director. "Great music, non-stop dancing,
elegant food and drink, all in our beautiful factory setting. This one
promises to carry on a tradition started back in 1989 with our first
Warehouse Ball, and the ticket price is the same as it was a dozen years
ago."
The party starts at 8:30 P.M. when the Kit McClure Big Band, an all-woman
group, takes the stage. With music ranging from traditional classic swing
to contemporary jazz, rock, and R&B, the band played at President Clinton's
inaugural ball and has toured with Robert Palmer and Cab Calloway. They have
played at festivals around the world including Ottawa's International Jazz
Festival, the Burghausen Jazz Festival in Germany, the Newark Jazz Festival,
and the Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz.
Kit McClure and her big band have received widespread critical acclaim
including from The New York Times who said they had "unexpected freshness"
and "crisp, swinging enthusiasm." The Hartford Courant said, "Right from
its first number, the infectiously enthusiastic band delighted the crowd,"
and "Like big bands of old, the McClure Band revels in its show-biz, even
campy side."
Tickets to the party are $75.
There will also be an elegant pre-gala dinner in MASS MoCA's galleries
starting at 6:30 P.M. Tickets for the dinner, which includes tickets to the
dance afterward, range from $250 to $500 with the latter including preferred
seating at the dinner, priority acknowledgement in the evening program (a
keepsake poster) and a special plate designed by artist Jenny Holzer.
Tables of eight are also available for $4,000 and include eight Holzer
plates.
A short break for the band will provide time for a live auction of several
one-of-a-kind items as part of MASS MoCA's first-ever online fundraising
auction. The auction, which will be available at the website
throughout the month of January, will include more than 20 items ranging
from exclusive vacation rentals, to original artwork by some of today's
hottest artists, to elegant dinners with celebrities. Eight of the items
will be auctioned live at Fire & Ice. "Auctions are always fun and this is
a great way to keep the excitement building during the band's break," said
Jennifer Trainer, MASS MoCA's director of external affairs. "And if you've
ever wanted to visit Mustique this is your chance!" MASS MoCA's first online
auction site was developed by gala committee member Eyal Rimmon and created
by Nick Branstator and Beth Budwig, all of RadioVoodoo, a Williamstown-based
developer of interactive software for the radio industry.
Tickets for the gala and additional information about the auction are
available by calling 413.664.4481 x8100. A printed list of all auction
items is available from MASS MoCA and those who don't have internet access
or who are not able to attend the gala for the auction of select items can
enter proxy bids by calling the same number.
MASS MoCA, the largest center for contemporary visual and performing arts in
the United States, is located on Marshall Street in North Adams on a 13-acre
campus of renovated 19th-century factory buildings.
MASS MoCA
1040 MASS MoCA Way
North Adams, MA 01247
413-664-4481 ext. 8111
FX: 413-663-8548