Artists, guests dine amid works at Laguna Art Museum

They came, they drank, and they feasted on food and art.

On May 18, 100 people paid $500 each for a ticket to the 2012 Palette to Palate, a benefit gala evening and dinner at Laguna Art Museum.

Palette to Palate is one of LAM’s main annual fundraisers, and this year’s edition grossed about $150,000. The money will go toward the museum’s education and artistic programs, LAM officials announced in a news release.

Chef Craig Strong of Studio at Montage Laguna Beach cooked up a four-course gourmet dinner. It was served to the guests with wines from Ramey Wine Cellars, as they sat amid works of art on display that were created by 10 artists, who joined them for dinner, the release said.

The artists’ pieces were available for sale, and the evening also included a live auction and an after party.

The artists in attendance were Suhas Bhujbal, Siddharth Parasnis, Larry Fodor, Laurie Frick, Hacer, Gregory Hull, Jason Kowalski, Ali Smith, James Verbicky, Feodor Voronov, and Jean Wells. Each artist joined guests for dinner at the table they created.

Jason Kowalski, a graduate of the Laguna College of Art & Design who is represented by Sue Greenwood Fine Art, one the local galleries that joined LAM in putting together the evening, was the top-selling artist.

—Imran Vittachi