All Aboard as Dallas Contemporary Commences Its Gala Weekend with an Exclusive Belmond Dinner

Consider the flame lit.

This Saturday, September 27, Dallas Contemporary hosts its annual fundraising gala, co-chaired by creative visionaries Catalina Gonzalez Jorba, Peter Augustus Owen, and Ramiro Garcia. In April, to celebrate the event’s kickoff, the trio hosted a vibrant luncheon at Dallas Contemporary, where they revealed the gala’s theme and all the fabulous details. Themed “Candela,” this weekend’s gala is inspired by a midcentury Latin revival that “brings together art, design, and community through music, architecture, and movement in a way that feels alive and relevant,” Jorba said.

To commence the festivities, the co-chairs hosted an intimate dinner for its most ardent supporters on Friday evening, which was attended by Colombian artist (and Candela’s artist honoree) Iván Argote.

Belmond partnered with Dallas Contemporary to host the seated dinner, which transformed the kunsthalle into a train car experience. (ICYMI, we recently wrote about Leon Bridges’ voyage on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, where he surprised fellow passengers on the route from Venice to Amsterdam with a private performance of songs from his new album, Happiness Anytime, from the bar carriage “3674.”) Belmond projected scenes from its iconic train expeditions throughout the space and presented the Britannic Explorer, United Kingdom, its luxury sleeper train in England and Wales.

Like any Belmond experience, the evening was a gastronomic journey. Guests enjoyed the chef-crafted menu from The Charles (with servers donning their sharp uniforms), paired alongside wine from Colgin Cellars. Music from Culdesac Kids reverberated throughout the space. Candela’s colors were foreshadowed in the vibrant tablescape, which featured textured centerpieces from Pablo Arellano of Concepto Studio. A Belmond ticket doubled as each guest’s place card.

The evening included two live auction items, made available exclusively to dinner guests: a Belmond train experience that sold for $40,000, and a sculpture by Argote that sold for $20,000.

With that and in dazzling color, Dallas Contemporary officially lit Dallas’ fall social season. Vamos!

PC Seen: Andrea and Vipin Nambiar, Annika Cail, Abi Perpall, Chuck Steelman, Joyce Goss, Joseph DeMartino and John Quattrocchi, Kasim Alfalahi, Neil Bernardi, Ann McReynolds, and Suzanne Droese.