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Artist Vija Celmins and filmmaker Denis Villeneuve will be honored at Los Angeles County Museum of Art\u2019s upcoming Art + Film Gala, the first to be hosted after the spring opening of LACMA\u2019s new David Geffen Galleries<\/a>.<\/p>\n Now in its 15th year, the glitzy annual event co-hosted by Eva Chow and Leonardo DiCaprio is set to take place Nov. 7. If the museum follows the blueprint it implemented with its Geffen Galleries opening party<\/a>, the evening\u2019s festivities will unfold in a posh tent beside the new building with a cocktail hour at the base of Peter Zumthor\u2019s concrete creation<\/a>.<\/p>\n With LACMA still in the international limelight, this year\u2019s Art + Film gala is poised to be its most high-profile yet, enabling it to further its mission of creating connections between the city\u2019s thriving arts and cinema ecosystems. Celmins and Villeneuve certainly live up to the hype. The former, 87, is a pioneer in photo-realistic paintings of natural settings and objects; the latter is an Oscar-nominated director and filmmaker whose projects include the \u201cDune\u201d movies as well as the upcoming James Bond film<\/a> for Amazon MGM Studios.<\/p>\n \u201cThis year, we are honoring two icons of visual creativity. Whether in painting, drawing, printmaking or other media, Vija Celmins\u2019 exacting renderings of the natural world blend realism and imagination, resulting in sublimely beautiful works,\u201d Michael Govan, LACMA\u2019s director and chief executive, said in a news release. \u201cLikewise, Denis Villeneuve\u2019s meticulously crafted worlds give his films an unforgettable visual impact, from contemplative and cerebral stories to global blockbusters. It will be a privilege for LACMA to honor both of these artists and their extraordinary careers in November.\u201d<\/p>\n Over the years LACMA\u2019s Art + Film Gala has featured a high-profile list of respected artists and filmmakers, including Simone Leigh, Baz Luhrmann, Judy Baca, David Fincher, Helen Pashgian, Park Chan-wook, Amy Sherald, Kehinde Wiley, Steven Spielberg, Betye Saar, Alfonso Cuar\u00f3n, Catherine Opie and Guillermo del Toro.<\/p>\n