Jon Hamm, Emma Roberts and Aldis Hodge turn out for the L.A. Art Show gala

By Tara Paniogue

Jan. 12, 2018 4:51 PM PT

At the L.A. Art Show, Emmy-winning actor Jon Hamm was host for an opening-night gala benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and the Wednesday star-studded event included other celebrities such as Emma Roberts, Matthew Modine, Jay Duplass and Aldis Hodge, as well as some fans and art patrons.

Now, what exactly goes on during the run of the L.A. Art Show? For one, it’s a behemoth-sized experience at the L.A. Convention Center in downtown Los Angeles with more than 100 participating galleries from 18 countries. And it’s also where you can take in an array of paintings, sculpture, works on paper, installations, photography, design, video and performance art. (The art show continues through Sunday evening.)

The art show has supported the research hospital as its primary beneficiary for the last three years. At the gala, 100% of proceeds from VIP vanguard and patron tickets and 15% of friends tickets were donated to furthering St. Jude’s mission. (St. Jude was founded in 1962 by entertainer Danny Thomas, whose son Tony is a friend of Hamm.)

“No child should have to die from pediatric cancer,” said Hamm during the gathering about why supporting St. Jude is a cause that’s close to his heart. About St. Jude itself, the “Mad Man” star said, the hospital was “the passion, vision and drive of a single man to save children’s lives.”

Walking around the expansive show, we were stupefied by the volume of art, as far as the eye could see. Among the rows of art, we noticed a few intriguing artists such as Pandemonia, Jae Yong Kim and Antuan Rodriguez as well as work from Saber, who live-painted an abstract during the gala.

While art is the show’s focus, we couldn’t help but notice that the fashion worn by the guests was a sight to be seen; some outfits practically rivaled the actual artwork.

The mix of art, fashion and celebrity on display made us realize that Los Angeles is rapidly becoming a global epicenter for art, fashion and culture. Now here’s a closer look at some of the art and guests attending the annual L.A. Art Show.