Tickets on Sale Monday, March 5 for "The Warhol Ball – A Night at The Factory," Westport Arts Center's First Annual Art Affair in April

Tickets will go on sale Monday, March 5 for the Westport Arts Center’s (WAC) first annual Art Affair, “The Warhol Ball – A Night at The Factory,” set for Saturday, April 28, at 8 p.m.  The fundraising event will recreate in Fairfield County the avant-garde, pop art atmosphere of Andy Warhol’s legendary Manhattan studio, The Factory.  Guests at WAC’s Warhol Ball will gather for their “15 minutes of fame” at the Steel Shed, 140 Water Street, South Norwalk.

“Paying homage to pop art icon Andy Warhol is a fitting theme for WAC, a contemporary arts center that features visual arts, as well as performing arts and film,” said Deanna Foster, WAC board member and co-chair of the Art Affair.

“Like Warhol, WAC celebrates art by pushing boundaries, yet still engaging a broad audience,” added co-chair Deirdre Price.

Andy Warhol (1928-1987) was a catalyst as well as a creator.  In the ‘60s, his studio, The Factory, was a revolutionary intersection of art and experimentation, drawing together artists, writers, musicians, underground celebrities, and art lovers to create, act, dance, and socialize. Warhol himself created popular and controversial images of dollar bills, celebrities, and brand name products, produced prints using the silkscreen method and created more than 500 films at The Factory. In Warhol’s words, “Art is anything you can get away with.” 

“WAC’s Art Affair will emulate the bold spirit and setting of Andy Warhol’s studio,” Foster stated. “Like nights at The Factory, our evening will be highlighted with unexpected intervals of film, art, new media, sculpture, music and dance. We want every guest to experience the excitement of seeing art in the making and feel the energy of a creative space where anything is possible.”

In addition to live electric jazz, unique food offerings, rock music and an open bar, the event will feature a live auction of premier experiences and a silent auction of local artists’ photography. 

This year’s Art Affair will honor Westport resident Gary Cosgrave, who, as a two-time past WAC president and current board member, has championed the arts in the local community and contributed significantly to WAC’s growth and direction.

Proceeds from the fundraiser will support WAC’s diverse, high-quality visual and performing arts programs that reach more than 11,000 people annually, including 4,000 school-aged children.

The Factory Superstars Committee planning The Warhol Ball includes Nell Bernegger, Kristen Briner, Stacie Curran, Kara Edwards, Jodi Felton, Deanna Foster, Chrissey Hunt, Laura Maged, Erika Miller, Dale Najarian, Eileen O’Brien and Deirdre Price, all Westport residents.

Ticket levels are $200, $350 and $500. The $500 VIP tickets will include a pre-event cocktail hour with delectable food from SoNo Baking Company, live jazz with Otis and the Hurricanes, and feature contemporary artist Brendan Cass, painting in action. Cass takes inspiration from postcards and travel brochures to create bold and brilliantly colorful, large-scale abstract landscapes.

Early sponsors of the Warhol Ball include Moffly Media, Westport Resources, US Trust-Bank of America Private Wealth Management, Bernstein Global Wealth Management, Cohen and Wolf, P.C., Gault, Inc., Greenwich Medical Skincare & Laser Spa, Land Rover of Milford, Low Cost Power - Verde Energy, Riverside Management Group LLC, Robinson and Cole, LLP, Thomas C. Hofstetter of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC, 4th Row Films, Royal Restrooms, and Westford Hill Distillers.

The not-for-profit Westport Arts Center is a visual and performing arts organization dedicated to creating arts experiences that enrich the lives of area residents and the entire community. The WAC gallery is open free of charge, seven days a week, Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., at 51 Riverside Avenue, Westport, CT

For more information or tickets to The Warhol Ball, contact Westport Arts Center at 203-222-7070 or visit the website at warholball@westportartscenter.org.