The Craft & Folk Art Museum (CAFAM) has announced Craft Affair 2015, the museum’s annual fundraising gala co-chaired by Richard Erickson of W.E. O’Neil, Hank Hilty of the A.F. Gilmore Company, and artist Don Bachardy. This year’s gala celebrates CAFAM’s 50th anniversary with a cocktail reception and silent auction on Oct. 17 from 6 – 9:00 p.m. at 5814 Wilshire Blvd. The museum will be honoring the historic A.F. Gilmore Company and Guggenheim Fellow in Fine Arts Phyllis Green.

Phyllis Green is pictured with her work “Fall 12: An Autobiography Considering Charles Ray’s ‘Fall 91’”. (photo courtesy of Phyllis Green)

The A.F. Gilmore Company, celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, owns and operates a variety of retail and real estate properties throughout the Fairfax District, most notably the Original Farmers Market, a Los Angeles landmark since 1934. Green, a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellow in Fine Arts 2014, has exhibited her sculpture and multi-media works both nationwide and internationally, including CAFAM; Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA); the Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai; and more.

The Craft & Folk Art Museum holds a 50 year legacy as the only institution in Los Angeles exclusively dedicated to exploring the leading edge of contemporary craft, design, and folk art. Founded on Miracle Mile by Edith Wyle in 1965 as CAFAM’s predecessor The Egg & The Eye, the space served as an important cultural center for Southern California’s flourishing Studio Craft movement. Through its 50 year exhibition history, CAFAM has supported the careers of notable artists such as Beatrice Wood, Sam Maloof, Isamu Noguchi, and J.B. Blunk. The museum continues to exhibit both established and emerging craftspeople, designers and artists who often go unrepresented in larger institutions.

Tickets to attend Craft Affair are $200 and sponsorship opportunities begin at $250. Details about the event and silent auction items can be found at http://www.craftaffair.cafam.org. For more information, contact Sonia Mak-Shahbazi, Development Manager, at (323)937-4230, ext.31 or sonia@cafam.org.