The Academy Museum has set a new date for its annual fundraising gala, after initially postponing the event out of respect for the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. The event is now scheduled for the evening of Dec. 3.
The fundraising gala is moving forward with the support of SAG-AFTRA, amid the actors union’s ongoing strike against the major studios. Many guild members are set to attend the event, including this year’s honorees Meryl Streep, Michael B. Jordan and Oprah Winfrey, who will receive the organization’s Icon Award, the Vantage Award and the Pillar Award, respectively. “Priscilla” director Sofia Coppola is also set to be honored; she will receive the Visionary Award. A guest list of A-list talent is expected to pack the venue.
The Academy Museum gala aims to raise funds to support the organization’s museum exhibitions, education initiatives and public programming.
The gala was originally slated for Oct. 14, but was postponed indefinitely two days prior to the date. At first, only the red carpet was canceled, but an announcement that the ceremony would also not proceed came just a few hours later. The decision came after some deliberation following the Oct. 7 terrorist attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israeli civilians and the Israeli military’s subsequent, ongoing bombardment of civilians in Gaza.
“Out of respect for the devastating conflict and loss of life happening overseas, we have made the decision to postpone the Academy Museum gala this Saturday,” the organization wrote in its statement at the time. “We look forward to rescheduling at a later date. We thank everybody deeply for their support.”
