MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART 

Denver 

News: Who would have thought that a vacant building in Cherry Creek that was once home to The Container Store and, later, Zone Fitness would be the setting for a fundraising gala with a “water and wonder” theme where drinks, food, and entertainment flowed, glowed, and undulated like waves in the ocean? 

The 14 men and women who chaired Luminocity, the annual fundraiser for the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver. That’s who. 

This forward-thinking – and very creative – team was made up of Amy Cara, managing partner of the Denver officer of East West Partners and leader of the firm’s ambitious Cherry Creek West development; Melissa Cheong, a managing partner at Blackhorn Ventures; FloraJane and James DiRienzo (she’s executive director of Biennial of the Americas and he’s senior vice president/investments at Griffis Residential); Amy Harmon of Urban Market Partners; former state Rep. Leslie Herod; Denver City Councilman Chris Hinds; award-winning photographic artist Constance Jaeggi; Esther Lee Leach, senior advisor/community partnerships, boards and commissions for Mayor Mike Johnston; Hannah and Zack Mann (she’s an art adviser and he’s in the financial services industry); Gloria Schock, executive director of the VF Foundation; Tina Walls, a philanthropist and investor in the art and culture world; and artist Mario Zoots. 

Those who’ve attended previous Luminocity galas expect nothing less because out-of-the-ordinary venues, menus, and decor are what set Luminocity apart from the rest. 

This year, for example, the call to dinner came when the lights in the cocktail hour space were dimmed. The band itchy-O, whose members were outfitted in black shirts, hats and slacks to which small lights were attached, marched everyone into the dining area where a dinner catered by Footers was served family-style at rectangular, instead of the traditional round, tables. 

During dinner, two treasured supporters of MCA Denver – Amanda Precourt and Ana Maria Hernando – were honored; Anthony Kiendl was introduced as the MCA’s new Mark G. Falcone director; and Marissa Walters from Wild Hair Auctions and Events called the auction of five works of art. 

Mark Falcone, a trustee emeritus of the MCA, described Precourt as a friend and supporter of the MCA for over 20 years, and one who has made “Some remarkable gifts that have changed the lives of many.” Her commitment to making the arts accessible to all continues with the opening of the Cookie Factory in Denver’s Baker neighborhood, Precourt’s center for contemporary art and cultural exchange, where admission is always free. 

“Art has always been my savior, and I know it has been for many,” she said in accepting the award. “It has calmed the chaos in my life.” 

Hernando, an artist born in Buenos Aires, is a former MCA trustee whose solo exhibition, Ana Maria Hernando: Seguir Cantando (Keep singing), will open at the MCA Denver on March 5, 2026. “I’ve been profoundly impacted by the artists shown at the museum – their visions, their beauty, and their passion. And now, this very moment, I am moved by it.” 

Once the auction concluded, guests returned to the cocktail hour space for dessert (Dippin’ Dots and vodka Jell-O shots) and a “pool party,” where the band set up in an empty plastic pool filled with inflatables and played on into the night. Guests were encouraged to hop in and bat beach balls back and forth, or simply sit back and enjoy the music. 

Among the guests at this Oct. 23 event: U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper and his wife, Robin; Malik Robinson, executive director of Cleo Parker Robinson Dance; James Holmes, executive director of the Cherokee Ranch & Castle; Steve Cohen, co-chair of the MCA Denver board and co-president and chief operating officer of The Anschutz Corporation; MCA board vice chairs Katherine Gold, CEO, owner and president of Goldbug, Inc., and Zack Neumeyer, chairman of Sage Hospitality Group; Michelle Sie Whitten, president/CEO of the Global Down Syndrome Foundation; Ken and Rebecca Gart; artist William Matthews and his wife, Laura Barton; public policy advocate Jamie Van Leeuwen; the past and present executive directors of the SCFD, Deborah Jordy and Andrea Albo; and Gary Steuer, who recently stepped down as the president/CEO of the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation. 

About the organization: The Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, 1485 Delgany St., was founded in 1996 by philanthropist Sue Cannon and others. Its mission is to create connections across Denver and the contemporary art field that spark curiosity and conversation through world-class exhibitions and quirky programming and deepen the understanding of the art of our time. 

Website: mcadenver.org 

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