Elegant Salute

Every other year since 1980, the Friends of the Georgia Museum of Art have hosted a sumptuous evening of cocktails, music, dinner and dancing in support of the museum. Elegant Salute, the Georgia Museum of Art’s single largest fundraising event, is distinguished by its imaginative themes and by its success in raising support for the museum’s programing, endowments and capital projects.

Proceeds from event sponsorships and ticket sales provide crucial support for exhibitions, outreach and year-round educational programming at the museum, all of which are funded by private donations. Contributions from private individuals make up the museum’s largest source of external support. All of the museum’s programs and acquisitions, as well as a portion of its staff’s salaries and benefits, rely on this external support, including private gifts, memberships, endowments, earned income and grants from corporations, foundations and government entities.

Since founder Alfred Heber Holbrook’s gift of 100 American paintings to the people of Georgia, the generosity of thousands of museum supporters has helped to make the Georgia Museum of Art one of the top university museums in the country and a vital cultural resource for the state. The museum’s ability to continue its strong tradition of public service and outreach hinges on the success of this event. Sponsors receive benefits including tickets and recognition in all publicity related to the event. We appreciate the extraordinary donor support that allows the museum to host compelling exhibitions and programming for UGA students, Georgians and others.