Ringdale Foundation to hold gala in Lake Forest
Ragdale, an artist retreat in Lake Forest, is ringing in a new open air theater at its inaugural benefit Saturday, June 15, at the Ragdale Foundation, 1230 N. Green Bay Road, Lake Forest.
The Ragdale Ring Gala celebrates the opening of the new Ragdale Ring, a dramatic, sculptural installation that reinterprets Howard Van Doren Shaw’s 1912 open-air garden theater.
The gala features twilight performances by jazz musicians, contemporary dancers, actors, new media and performance artists, as well as a live auction. A flower-infused garden party, the gala’s artistic flair is reflected in the décor, attire, fine cocktails, creative hors d’oeuvres and desserts. Proceeds benefit Ragdale, a nonprofit, interdisciplinary artist residency.
The event begins at 6 p.m. with a VIP preview and champagne reception with the Ragdale Ring design team, followed by cocktails, tastings and spontaneous happenings at 7 p.m., and performances and an auction in the Ragdale Ring at 8:30 p.m.
Off-site parking with a shuttle bus from Lake Forest north community lot, between Forest and Oakwood Avenues, will be available.
The Ragdale Ring Gala benefits The Ragdale Foundation, a nonprofit artist residency that has provided artists with time and space to pursue their creative work in an uninterrupted environment for more than 35 years. Proceeds support 18 to 25 day residencies for 150 writers, visual artists, composers and interdisciplinary artists each year.
The Ragdale Ring design was selected in a national competition by a qualified jury and built on-site by New York-based, Harvard-educated architect Stephen Dietrich Lee and his team during a residency in May.
The Ragdale Program/Event Committee, chaired by Board Trustee Ann Merritt, with support from her colleagues, created this evening.
Admission is $200 for a general ticket, which includes the reception, performances and auction and off-site parking and shuttle; or $250 for a VIP ticket, which includes valet parking and a champagne reception with the Ragdale Ring design team, and VIP seating for performances and auction.
For reservations and tickets, visit www.ragdale.org/RingIn or contact (847) 234-1063 or info@ragdale.org.