Scottsdale Arts gala co-chair Oscar De las Salas promises an ARTrageous experience benefitting Scottsdale Arts

By Lynette Carrington

If there are only a few things once could say about Oscar De las Salas, they would include “generous,” “stylish,” “philanthropic” and “passionate.” He is the man about town, always. In true Oscar de las salas fashion, he is co-chairing The ArtrageousGala – Luminescence for the second year with co-chair Anita Lang. He is a cheerleader for the arts community, diversity and inclusion and the Latino community. He embraces it all with a charming demeanor and quick wit that wins over every person he meets.

The ARTrageous Gala – Luminescensce will take place 7:00 p.m., Saturday, April 2. Normally, the spectacular gala would take place at Scottsdale Center for the Arts. Due to renovations taking place, the fundraiser this year is happening at Scottsdale Stadium, offering a unique experience that will not be duplicated like this again. “As a member of the Latino community, Co-Chairing the ARTrageous Gala for Scottsdale Arts is an honor!” says De las Salas.

“We are particularly excited about this year’s ARTrageous Gala for a number of reasons,” said Dr. Gerd Wuestemann, presidentand CEO of Scottsdale Arts. “While Scottsdale Civic Center renovations made it necessary for us to move off campus, we are thrilled to bring the first major gala event to the fabulous new venues at Scottsdale Stadium, partnering with our friends at the City of Scottsdale.”

The evening will be an experience complete with radiant living art experiences, and fantastical performances and visual creations. Quixotic Fusion, an innovative performance art collective, will provide entertainment for Scottsdale Arts’ The ARTrageous Gala – Luminescence.

The beginning of the Luminescense experience is a-laHollywood-style with a livestreamed red-carpet experiencehosted by Carey Peña of Inspired Media 360.

Cirque-style jugglers will inhabit the cocktail hour environment, which includes elevated culinary and beverage stations and a silent auction. Guests will have the chance to bid on one-of-a-kind experiences, jewelry, art, trips, tickets and more. 

The stadium itself will be transformed into a light-filled wonderland. Designed as an immersive three-part gala, interior designer and gala co-chair Lang explained how the stadium will be transformed into something akin to a magic box, describing it as “a portal to another reality.” 

“Upon entering, you will be awed by gravity-defying performances, fantastic creatures and brilliant interactive art displays transporting you to another world,” Lang says. “It will be like no other gala thus far, and Oscar and I are thrilled to co-chair such a special fun event for such a meaningful purpose.”

The ARTrageous Gala Luminescence benefits the diverse performances, exhibitions and arts education and outreach programs offered by Scottsdale Arts through its four dynamic branches — Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA), Scottsdale Public Art and Scottsdale Arts Learning & Innovation — and two signature events: Scottsdale Arts Festival and Canal Convergence.

“It proves once more that art is for everyone, that art in all its expressions belongs to all of us, and that art always includes, every-single-member of our community regardless of skin color, origin, gender, sexual orientation, economic foundation as well as politics,” explains De las salas. 

As the night progresses, performance artists will fill the Field House, a black box-style venue at Scottsdale Stadium, performing above the thoughtfully designed, three-course dinner. Additional dinner entertainment, curated by Scottsdale Arts will lead up to the energetic and unforgettable live auction hosted by celeb auction-tainer Letitia Frye.

The dinner program will include a presentation of The Herberger Award for the Arts. Honors will also be presented to community leaders who have helped shape the course of cultural life in Scottsdale and remember some special arts philanthropists who have recently passed away.

Following dinner, the magic continues with an energizing and enigmatic grand finale performance by Quixotic. Using the power of music, dance, large-scale props and stunning lighted projections, this celebration of multidimensional arts will light up the night. Quixotic fuses imagination with technology, dance, projection mapping and live music to create fully immersive, multi-sensory experiences.

“My community should be excited and be participant as I am sure this specific moment in time will create ripples, opening a door for others like me continue to contribute, to be present, to be active and to dedicate time to grow the arts in all its expressions,” finishes De las salas.

For full event details and to purchase tickets, visit Gala.ScottsdaleArts.org. To learn more about The ARTrageousGala and gala committee, or to donate an auction item, contact Lauren Zapien, Scottsdale Arts membership and events manager, at 480-425-5347 or LaurenZ@ScottsdaleArts.org. To sponsor The ARTrageous Gala, contact Denise Wisdom, Scottsdale Arts corporate and foundation relations manager, at 480-874-4669 or DeniseW@ScottsdaleArts.org. For the protection of our guests and staff, proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of the event is required.

Sponsors of The ARTrageous Gala Luminescence include Billie Jo Herberger, BMO Harris Bank, Pride Guide Arizona, Lincoln Property Company, Cox Communications, Nationwide, Harvard Investments, Quixotic and Scottsdale Stadium.