The Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College Chicago (MoCP) held DARKROOM, their annual benefit auction, on Thursday, February 28 at Venue SIX10, bringing in over $230,000 to support the museum. Funds raised at DARKROOM will provide critical support for the museum's exhibitions, collections, and community engagement initiatives in 2019.

Highlights of the evening included a VIP hour conversation between MoCP chief curator and deputy director Karen Irvine and Silver Camera Awardee Lalla Essaydi about Essaydi’s photographic contributions.

 

Other high points of the evening included a ceremony honoring artist Lalla Essaydi with the Silver Camera Award, followed by a rousing Raise the Paddle, that raised over $20,000 to support MoCP education initiatives, including expanded teen programs and a bus subsidy program aimed at bringing more Chicago Public School students to the museum from underserved communities.

Co-chaired by Ted Keim and Marisa Murillo, with honorary co-chairs Bill and Vicki Hood, DARKROOM 2019 hosted over 300 guests, who enjoyed an elegant evening celebration of photography while supporting the Museum of Contemporary Photography, the only museum of its kind in the region.

The silent auction this year featured photography by Lalla Essaydi, Sandro Miller, Doug Fogleson, and Beate Gütschow, among many others.