Art Museum indulges in Chocolate Gala

The IU Art Museum was filled with the saccharine smell of chocolate Sunday night as LifeDesigns put on its annual Art of Chocolate Gala.

The sound of about a hundred people talking echoed within the stone walls of the museum, their chatter accompanied by the smooth music of a live jazz band. Tables covered in black cloth held platters upon platters of food, all donated to the organization. Accompanying the food was an array of art pieces on sale.

LifeDesigns, which is an organization that gives services to those with disabilities, has put on the event for nine years. Leslie Abshier, the Community Development Officer, of LifeDesigns, said all funds raised from last night’s event went directly toward helping the people.

“It’s our signature even. It’s really the only fundraiser we do all year that’s designed just to raise funds,” Abshier said.

John Woodcock was one of the artists with work on display for the night.

“It’s a very festive occasion, especially if you love chocolate,” Woodcock said.

Abshier was excited about last night’s turn out. Typically in years past, the Art of Chocolate Gala entertains about 300 guests, which is the event’s cut off due to the museum’s fire code. The reverberation that flooded the room suggested a similar attendance.

“The turnout’s great, especially because of the weather,” Abshier said. “We applaud the people that came out.”

Sunday’s gala was one event of many. In fact, the Art of Chocolate is actually a week of events, the first being a Chocolate Challenge on Saturday at the Pinnacle School in Bloomington. 

While LifeDesigns organized last night’s art gala, the entire week is supported by a variety of organizations, some being the Pinnacle School, Citizen Advocacy and Martha’s House.

“A lot of organizations got on board ... it’s a fundraising festival,” Abshier said.

Most importantly, the beauty of the week-long “festival” of events, was the fact that it brought the community together, said Abshier. Rather than having people send in checks, the Art of Chocolate was designed to make people aware of what was going on in the community through the mutual love of chocolate.

“Everybody loves chocolate,” Abshier said.

There are a variety of events scheduled for this week, each with a variety of price ranges. Last night’s event was the pinnacle of the week, with an entry cost of $50. It is safe to say last night was a good kick-off for the rest of the week’s events.

“I think that it’s fun to have the two events on Saturday, and then to have the Art of Chocolate,” Abshier said. “Kind of a big weekend of chocolate events.”