Dallas Contemporary and Luxury Italian Fashion House Missoni Host Intimate Dinner with Gala Artists

“Candela” means “flame” in Spanish.

Last week, Dallas Contemporary lit the flame on the marathon of chic events scheduled for the kunsthalle’s most devoted patrons when it co-hosted an intimate dinner with Belmond that transformed the space into a train carriage. From then on, I considered myself *all aboard* for whatever the gala’s co-chairs Catalina Gonzalez Jorba, Ramiro Garcia, and Peter Augustus Owen planned on the itinerary.

Two days before the Big Night, the trio hosted another exclusive dinner inside Dallas Contemporary, this time with storied luxury Italian fashion brand Missoni. Candela: The Artist’s Table brought together the artists participating in the gala with the event’s host committee and underwriters for an evening of breaking bread.

The ladies in attendance understood the assignment, of course. You zig, I zag; we all wear the house’s legendary chevron print. Missoni supplied the plates for the evening’s posh tablescape, which was brought to life with sensational florals (some even gold-flecked!) by Concepto. The best in town, Cassandra Moses of Art 2 Catering prepared the elegant menu, which started with a big eye tuna tostada covered in a decadent heap of American Sturgeon caviar. (Forget the charity chicken; It’s definitely caviar season in Dallas!)

The honored artist at the gala, Iván Argote, who is Colombian, provided first-hand tours of his new exhibition, How to Move a Monument on a Tuesday Morning. Artist Francisco Moreno, whose wildly successful exhibition Historia Sintética recently concluded at Dallas Contemporary, held court in the middle of my table during dinner. I asked him to consider painting a squirrel with a Diet Coke. “Just something to think about…”

Priming the pump for Candela’s live auction two nights later, Charlie Adamski Caulkins, Vice President and Head of Office at Sotheby’s Dallas, auctioned off two one-of-a-kind experiences to the guests in attendance. The package I coveted? “The Ultimate Missoni Milan Experience,” which included two VIP tickets to the Missoni fashion show, a private tour of the factory(!), and a private tour of the Missoni archives(!!). To the lucky winner, please know that I am *available* for journalistic purposes, and I do know the best hidden spot for pizza in all of Milano!

Caulkins also auctioned a package that celebrated three DFW icons— a stay at Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek (Editor’s Note / SAT riddle— Eloise : The Plaza Hotel : Melissa Smrekar : The Mansion), tickets to Leon Bridges (Fort Worth’s hometown king), and a $3,000 gift card to Bachendorf’s x Rouvenat. Frost yourself!

Next week, I’ll take you inside Candela, in all her tequila-fueled glory. (Spoiler alert — it was the hottest ticket in town!)

PC Seen: John McBride, Santiago Jorba, Nancy Rogers, Brian Bolke, Karla McKinley, Porschla Kidd, John Quattrocchi and Joseph DeMartino, Jessica Nowitzki, Joyce Goss, Greer Goss, Vodi Cook, and Stephanie Seay.