Museum of Idaho to throw gala Friday
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IDAHO FALLS — The COVID-19 pandemic has made many people anxious for a chance to get dressed up and go out on the town. On Friday, the Museum of Idaho is giving them a reason to do exactly that.
The museum is hosting its “Museum Inside Out Gala,” a swanky party and major fundraiser all rolled into one, on Friday. The event will also commemorate the opening of the new museum facilities and give patrons a chance to experience both its current exhibits.
“It’s called the ‘Museum Inside Out Gala’ for a couple of reasons,” museum spokesman Jeff Carr told EastIdahoNews.com. “First off, it pays homage to our current traveling exhibit, ‘Body Worlds: Animal Inside Out.’ But also, it’s a nod to the idea of it being both inside the museum and outside the museum.”
Its permanent exhibit is “Way Out West.”
Inside the museum, local jazz duo The Dewdroppers will provide music while DJ ANDX will supply the tunes outdoors. Drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be served in both locations.
“You can come, and if you want to stay outside, you can have your fancy gala outside,” Carr said.
The gala will also include fundraising games and several other ways to donate to the museum, including an online silent auction, which kicked off Friday. The silent auction features various big-ticket items and provides a way for attendees and people who can’t come to the gala to contribute.
“We have a number of cool items that people can bid on,” said Carr. “Some of them are experiences like vacations, dinners, wine tastings, etc. Some of them are also opportunities to put your name on something in the museum. You could sponsor one of the shops down in our Eagle Rock exhibit, or you could sponsor the mountain goat or the mountain lion or something like that, and we’ll put your name on it.”
All proceeds from the gala will go right back into the museum itself.
“(The money) goes towards the sort of bread-and-butter stuff that the museum is known for,” Carr said. “It goes to our traveling exhibit program and it goes to our educational programs, so it basically allows us to do what we do.”
Carr hopes the gala not only brings in donations but also provides a satisfying night out for people who’ve been stuck at home for the past year and a half.
“The museum has put on parties like this in the past, and I think there’s definitely a place for it in the community,” he said. “Especially right now, I think there’s a real hunger for a lot of people with how many events have been canceled to have a reason to dress up and get out and feel like you’re part of society again.”
The Museum of Idaho’s “Museum Inside Out Gala” is set for Friday, Aug. 20 at 7 p.m. Click here to buy tickets online. They will also be available at the door. Visit the museum’s website to keep track of events, classes and other cool museum programs.
