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The Museum’s signature fundraiser will take place in two newly envisioned parts this year: the Ultimo Wine Event on Jan. 25 and Carnevale di Venezia on Jan. 28. Both nights celebrate the opening of Glasstress – an international contemporary glass exhibition presented in conjunction with Fondazione Berengo, Murano, Italy. A highly acclaimed exhibition series that takes place regularly alongside the Venice Biennale, the Museum’s presentation of Glasstress will be the largest ever shown in the United States. Phillipe de Montebello, director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art from 1977-2008, has said, “For hundreds of years, glass has been viewed by some as simply a decorative or functional medium. Glasstress…shatters those notions.” The proceeds from these two events benefits the Museum’s exhibitions and educational programs that serve annually over 100,000 visitors, 12,000 schoolchildren, and 4,000 children, teen, and adult learners who participate in art classes at the Museum’s Art School. The Ultimo Wine Event features an intimate evening of world-class libations in the elegant oceanfront home of Francis Feeney & Arina Heath in Highland Beach, who co-chair the event along with Nathalie Diamantis & Scott Rosen, Tamara & Richard Morgenstern, Trish Savides, and Laura Galbán & Juan Dominguez. Micki & Steven Hirsch are our Honorary Chairs. Ruinart, the world’s oldest Champagne house, presents glasses of bubbly for the cocktail hour. A gourmet meal features a trio of founders of Napa Valley’s most premiere labels – Michael Polenske of Blackbird Vineyards, Adam Craun of Memento Mori, and Fernando Frias of Frias Family Vineyard – who guide our guests through a personally-curated, hand-poured flight of their top reserve wines. The evening includes a musical performance by Franco Corso, the presentation of select items from Bulgari’s famed International Collection, and the Ultimo Live Auction featuring one-of-a-kind wine & travel experiences. Seating for the Ultimo Wine Event is strictly limited and tickets are $1,250 per person. Tickets to the second part of our celebration – the Carnevale di Venezia at the Boca Raton Museum of Art on Saturday, January 28 – are included with tickets to the Ultimo Wine Event and are available separately for $250 per person. Inspired by the world’s most beautiful city, the Museum will be transformed for the evening into a Venetian wonderland and a moveable feast for the senses with fine food, wine and spirits, dancing and music through the night. This resplendent evening features entertainment by Franco Corso and company, Opera Fusion, and Carnevale-inspired street performers and includes a Raffle by Saks Fifth Avenue Boca Raton, Boca Muse reverse Silent Auction, and Limited Edition glass sculptures by Carol Prusa (a featured artist in Glasstress) created at the Berengo Foundry in Murano. The Glasstress Boca Raton exhibition continues through July 2, 2017 and is dedicated to the memory of Dani & Jack Sonnenblick, who did so much to establish the Museum’s collection of studio glass. About the Vintners: Blackbird Vineyards is an artisanal producer of Right Bank-inspired wines from the Napa Valley. Planted in 1997, the estate vineyard is located in the heart of the Oak Knoll District. The vineyard’s valley floor topography presents optimum growing conditions for Winemaker, Aaron Pott, to produce elegantly styled, appropriately balanced red wines that offer short and long term cellaring potential. Memento Mori is translated from Latin as “Remember That You Will Die”. Our translation is “Remember To Live”. It is named for a life-embracing philosophy born of a deep appreciation for the ties that bind. Each of its three founders has triumphed over adversity and learned to value not only life but the passion and hard work that drive it, making them uniquely qualified to launch an uncompromising brand. Frias Family Vineyard was founded with our first official vintage in 1991. We purchased 100 acres in 1977 and planted only 5 acres in 1985. We have since added 15 more acres and have expanded our operations with various single vineyards around Napa. We focus only on producing the finest single vineyard Grown Cabernet Sauvignon. Our operation is small and family owned. My wife and grown children help carry out this labor of love by participating in nurturing the vines, blending, bottling and (of course) quality control! ### Please contact Kelsey Johnson for interviews with the Carnevale di Venezia event committee, Honorary Chairs, or Museum leadership. About Boca Raton Museum of Art Founded by artists, the Boca Raton Museum of Art was established in 1950 as the Art Guild of Boca Raton. The organization has grown to encompass an Art School, Guild, Store, and Museum with distinguished permanent collections of contemporary art, photography, non-western art, glass, and sculpture, as well as a diverse selection of special exhibitions. The Museum is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10 AM until 5 PM; on Thursdays from 10 AM until 8 PM; and on weekends from 12 PM until 5 PM. Admission is free on the first Sunday of every month, and otherwise $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, and free for students with IDs and children under 12. Learn more at www.bocamuseum.org.