Every year, as the final lights are dimmed and guests start to dance beneath the soaring glass roof of our Main Atrium, I find myself reflecting on what it truly takes to bring PEM’s annual gala to life. Committee members, creative partners and a team of dedicated PEM staff work together to ensure this event's success, and it is my privilege to lead this team with a collective spirit of collaboration and joy.

This year marked my 14th PEM gala, and each one continues to astonish me — not only in its creativity and scale, but also in the depth of commitment that our community brings. From the earliest planning meetings with our Gala Committee, PEM team and creative partners to the final moments of celebration, this event is a vivid expression of what happens when art, collaboration and generosity intertwine. Inspired by our exhibition Andrew Gn: Fashioning the World, this year’s PEM Gala: The Global Eye offered a spectacular tribute to global fashion that celebrated the many ways we design our worlds and style ourselves.

When I organized my first gala at PEM, the scope and ambitions were smaller: an elegant dinner that hinted at the potential for something extraordinary. Today, the PEM Gala has grown into a dazzling, immersive experience that transforms the museum inside and out. This year, thanks to our incredible sponsors, committee, table hosts, ticket sales, a live auction and a spirited paddle raise, more than $1 million was raised to support PEM’s exhibitions, education programs and community initiatives — an inspiring testament to the generosity of our donors, sponsors and friends.

Enthusiastic guests raised their paddles for auction items, including styling services and a total wardrobe refresh by Julie Matos, bespoke interior design services, dinner in the newly transformed East India Marine Hall and a private tour of designer Andrew Gn’s Paris home and atelier. Our guests’ generosity helps PEM to thrive and ensures that our wonderful museum can continue to serve as a space where so many can discover, innovate, share and create new stories.

The gala is truly a museum-wide effort. Our Development & Donor Engagement team, executive team, curators, designers, Facilities staff, catering crew, electricians, PEM Shop, marketing team, Visitor Engagement department, security officers and countless volunteers, including the Gala Committee, all work in harmony to create a night that reflects PEM’s adventurous spirit. Each person plays a vital part in making sure guests not only have a remarkable evening, but leave feeling connected to something larger: a shared belief in the power of creativity to move and transform us.

Surprising pop-up fashion experiences took place throughout the museum, with a runway fashion show featuring designers PEM has worked with for years, including the incredibly talented Gary Graham. Guests enjoyed taking photos with interactive costumed experiences created by several amazing designers, including masters of the dark arts and former Salem residents Hogan McLaughlin and Bill Crisafi. A collaboration with Salem’s own Rouge Cosmetics turned out dramatic makeup looks for our guests. One of the highlights of the evening was our Creative Expression Lounge, with a variety of offerings like custom airbrush tattoos based on the opulent visual motifs found in Andrew Gn’s couture. Our partnership with Masconomet Regional High School allowed students to research Gn’s designs and combine them with their own personal sources of inspiration to create an outfit collection and design presentation. PEM is proud to inspire students of all ages! It’s a thrill to collaborate with such inventive partners.

Our guests discovered surprises at every turn, including a dance floor next to a Singapore-inspired “night market” food station for late-night bites. (Award-winning chef Lydia Shire returned this year to plan another delectable gala menu.) Through a secret door in the garden, partygoers stumbled upon a Chocolate and Champagne Boutique courtesy of our delicious neighbor Kakawa Chocolate House and PEM’s own Marine Hall Mercantile, featuring hats and fascinators by Dora Marra. Some guests had their look captured in a one-of-a-kind artist portrait by our incredible quick sketch fashion artists. Others who hopped the elevator to Level 3 even found a surprise waiting for them on their way up!

And of course, no gala would be complete without the conversation and laughter that filled the museum well into the night. Watching guests — artists, trustees, staff, and friends — share in that collective joy is a highlight of my year. This year, we had the privilege of honoring Susan and Appy Chandler, longtime PEM supporters whose leadership and generosity have shaped so much of our museum’s success. Through their leadership, generosity and advocacy, Susan and Appy have strengthened PEM’s collections, exhibitions and educational programs across diverse disciplines, including fashion and design and the Art & Nature Center. Their unwavering commitment exemplifies the profound difference that dedicated supporters make in shaping PEM’s future.

Their steadfast commitment to PEM’s mission and their genuine love for the arts set an inspiring example for all of us. Their warmth and humility touched every guest in the room, reminding us that behind every great institution are people who believe deeply in its purpose.

Each gala has its moments that become instant memories. This year, one of our Gala Committee members commented when I saw her at the event that she rode our surprise elevator experience, “The Threads that Connect Us” for nearly an hour, cheering on everyone that entered! After the event, she posted: 

Those are the words that stay with me — the reason we pour our hearts into making this evening so meaningful.

As I think about the year ahead, myself and the team are already filled with excitement for what’s next. Every gala presents new opportunities to create an experience that surprises and delights while deepening our community’s connection to PEM. We look forward to the moment when the lights dim, the magic begins and our guests arrive, each one bringing their own story, their own spark, to this shared celebration of art and possibility.

Each year’s gala reaffirms something I’ve come to believe wholeheartedly: PEM’s magic lies not just in its collection or architecture, but in the people who bring it to life. Thank you to everyone, our honorees, our committee, our sponsors, donors, performers and staff who helped make this year’s gala our most inspiring yet.
Here’s to the creativity, generosity and imagination that make PEM what it is — and to all the beauty still to come next year.

P.S. If you weren’t able to get tickets to this year’s sold-out event, you can always become a PEM member to get early access to tickets for next year’s gala celebration.