ART FWD 5x5x5
A vibrant, multi-tiered series spotlighting a constellation of Bay Area artists.
MarinMOCA’s ART FWD: 5x5x5 is a series of celebrations – both at the museum and in inspiring sites outside its walls – of artistic breakthroughs and creative networks. Join us and discover how the Bay Area’s leading artists find inspiration, support one another, and sustain the dynamic arts community that propels our region’s unique culture.
ART FWD: 5x5x5 launches with a groundbreaking show – featuring 155 interconnected artists – that turns the traditional exhibition model on its head. Here, artists are in the driver’s seat, led by their knowledge, intuition, material know-how, and insider sensibility. At ART FWD: 5x5x5, five renowned artists – Saif Azzuz, Arleene Correa Valencia, Liam Everett, Isabella Kirkland, and Barry McGee —each selected five artists, who each chose five more. The result is a dazzling constellation of diverse artworks that together paint a portrait of Bay Area artistry and creative kinship.
Kick things off on Opening Night, October 18, at a party pulsing with energy, live music, hands-on art-making, and relishable food and drinks. The experience deepens with special Artist's Table gatherings, intimate conversations where guests dive into the worlds that inspire ART FWD: 5x5x5’s headliners.
Opening Night: Saturday, October 18th
5:00 - 9:30 PM | MarinMOCA, San Rafael
This is not your typical gala. No rubber-chicken dinner. No long speeches. No polite applause.
ART FWD: 5x5x5 Opening Night — where the boundaries between spectator and participant dissolve and pure creative joy reigns.
Come enjoy outstanding art, delicious food and drink, and wild entertainment. This is art as it should be experienced: not hushed and distant, but immediate, vibrant, and participatory.
5:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Exhibition Viewing
6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Picnic-Style Dinner
• Musical Jam: Mick Hellman & Matt Jaffe
• Artful Activities
7:30 – 8:15 p.m.
Performance by the Bay Area’s celebrated
Queens on Wheels, Rollin’ with the Homos
Support MarinMOCA Art Education: Raise-the-Paddle
8:15 – 9:30 p.m.
Silent Disco with Operation Joy Lab
Artist Tables:
Step beyond traditional gallery walls into the living, breathing spaces where art is made, contemplated, and loved. Each gathering weaves together artistic passion, culinary excellence, and connection among friends old and new.
A Floating Feast with Isabella Kirkland
Friday, October 3, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Artist’s studio, Sausalito
Join celebrated artist Isabella Kirkland for an extraordinary dinner aboard her floating studio in Sausalito. Kirkland, renowned for bridging artistic and scientific inquiry, opens her doors for an intimate meal and a glimpse at what makes this renowned artist- environmentalist tick.
Together, we’ll dive into the delights — both visual and epicurean — of Dutch still life painting, a genre that has inspired Kirkland for decades, and learn about her tireless work as a champion of biodiversity. Combining exquisite dining with meaningful conversation about art's role in environmental advocacy, the evening will offer an unforgettable fusion of creativity, cuisine, and conservation.
Light, Space, and Perception with Liam Everett
Saturday, October 11, 6:00 – 9:30 p.m.
Collector’s Home, Ross
Step inside a private Ross residence where Liam Everett's monumental painting, together with other great artworks, transforms daily life into artistic experience. In the tradition of intimate gatherings where ideas flow as freely as wine, join artist Everett and esteemed urbanist Ayssar Arida for a salon exploring light, theoretical science, and spatial creation.
Here, amid works that are enjoyed and contemplated daily, conversation becomes an art form itself—examining how we shape space, whether on canvas or in the built environment. Together we’ll gather to think across disciplines, and who knows…we might just spark a new creative breakthrough.
Feast and Creating Together with Saif Azzuz
Film: 3:30 – 5:00 p.m., Sequoia Cinema
Film and Dinner: 3:30 – 7:50 p.m. Sequoia Theater and Anthony Meier Gallery
Discover the local history and family legacy that inspires one of today’s most powerful indigenous voices in the Bay Area. Artist Saif Azzuz creates work that confronts, challenges, and celebrates as it explores identity, resistance, and connection to the land. Over a special evening in Mill Valley, we’ll gain insights into the ways Azzuz’s community of friends, family, artists, and activists inform his work.
The evening begins with a special screening of Firelighters: Fire is Medecine featuring Azzuz’s mother, Margo Robbins, co-founder and executive director of Cultural Fire Management Council (CFMC). Follow that up with a conversation between Azzuz and contributors to the film.
Finally, an exclusive dinner at Anthony Meier Gallery will offer a chance to connect with Azzuz over an incredible meal and an artmaking experience led by the artist.
Wine Country Get-Away with Arleene Correa Valencia
Join us for an outdoor dinner in beautiful Napa celebrating artist Arleene Correa Valencia in the valley that has helped shape her life, artwork, and advocacy. Get up close and learn about Correa Valencia’s inspirations, sources, and process during an evening that includes a studio visit and honors the dedicated workers who make Napa's excellence possible. Created collaboratively with local community members and those near and dear to Correa Valencia, the event supports her art initiatives and championship of the diverse voices that shape wine country's rich cultural tapestry.
Event details coming soon.
Barry McGee Artist Table Details Coming Spring 2026.
Fund-A-Need:
All donations -- large and small -- are vital to achieving MarinMOCA goals for the coming year, especially as we expand our many education programs. Contribute today at whatever amount feels right for you!
Family Day creates lasting memories for young and old alike. Smiles abound and creativity flows on these joy-filled afternoons. Help us ensure the love continues by donating to cover the cost of art materials and professional instructors for a full year of monthly Family Days.
Let's put art back into kids' curricula! Your donation will help cover the cost of MarinMOCA's outstanding Novato Unified School District Art Enrichment Program, which reaches over a thousand 4th and 5th graders in Novato public schools. Make a difference in a child’s life by lighting their creative fire!
Kids’ Summer Art Camp at MarinMOCA rules! In 2025, we'll have even more to offer with an expanded camp program. With no school, summer days are perfect for creative exploration and developing artistic skills. Your donation covers costs for supplies, allows us to pay fair compensation to our incredible summer instructors, and enables us to offer scholarships to families who need them.
MarinMOCA's new Teen Leadership Council is training tomorrow's changemakers TODAY! Support Marin’s dynamic teens as they master real career skills – regardless of the professional path they choose – while collaborating with top artists and arts workers to create programs for future youth cohorts. Help us launch the next generation of creative leaders!
With Young Artists for the Planet, young creators team up with acclaimed Bay Area artists to create stunning public artworks that spark environmental action! This one-of-a-kind program transforms young visionaries into eco-advocates through art that can't be ignored. Your support ensures that youth participation is free, all materials and installation costs are covered, and artist-mentors receive competitive pay.