Graphic black and white tabletops pop at a Field Museum event by G/M Productions. Photo by Larry Shapiro Photography.

G/M Productions salutes Chicago with a skyline graphic at a Field Museum gala. Photo by Larry Shapiro Photography.

Masterpiece Productions of Newport Beach, Calif., helps the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego put a fresh, French spin on its 22-year-old "Monte Carlo" night fundraiser in 1999. Here, sinuous buffet tables are cross-lighted for plenty of pop without plenty of budget. Photo by Zabilski Photography.

For the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego fundraiser, guests dine outdoors amidst artworks, a reminder of the event's goals. Photo by Zabilski Photography.

Floral for the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego's fundraiser keys on yellow; here with floral topping clear vases packed with lemons, courtesy Anthony Griffin & Associates, Costa Mesa, Calif. Photo by Zabilski Photography.

Stilt-walkers stand tall at the entrance to the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego fundraiser. Photo by Zabilski Photography.

Atlanta's A Legendary Event turns the city's Woodruff Arts Center into a sea of stunning tabletops for a Design Industry Foundation Fighting AIDS fundraiser in 1999. Photo by Northlight Photography.

Human hors d'oeuvre greet guests at Woodruff Arts Center for a DIFFA fundraiser led by A Legendary Event. Photo by Northlight Photography.

Sportswear giant Nike takes over the Philadelphia Museum of Art for its "30 Years of Nike Basketball" reception in 2002. Here, the Great Stair Hall plays host to 1,200 VIP guests. Photo by Kevin Mazur.

Shoe trees show off Nike products at the Nike reception, created by the Office of Special Events at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Photo by Kevin Mazur.

Portland, Ore.-based Bruce Goldberg & Co. creates a surreal French scene as the Portland Art Museum in 2002 hosts the "Stuff of Dreams" exhibit, on loan from France. Photo by Strongphotography.com.

Bruce Goldberg creates a whimsical chandelier for the Portland Art Museum's "Stuff of Dreams" exhibit. Photo by Strongphotography.com.

Greeters act as "dream guides" at the Portland Art Museum's "Stuff of Dreams" exhibit by Bruce Goldberg. Photo by Strongphotography.com.

The ice bar bears the new science center's brand at the University of San Diego gala.

Zeigler & Co. of Nashville, Tenn., uses bold red lit with hundreds of candles to create an Old World mood for the city's legendary Swan Ball gala in 2003, benefitting Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art. The event is staged on the museum grounds.

In the Swan Ball's event tent, Zeigler & Co. creates comfortable banquettes for guests who need a pretty place to perch.

To accommodate crooner Tony Bennett at the 2003 Swan Ball, Zeigler & Co. creates a stage that can be whisked away in under 8 minutes, clearing crucial floor space for dancing.

Los Angeles-based J. Ben Bourgeois Productions helps L.A.'s Museum of Contemporary Art celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2004. Clouds of paper lanterns warm up the cavernous space.

Gobos celebrate MOCA's 25th birthday in an event designed by Bourgeois Productions.

A dramatic performance by String Theory gives the MOCA gala a modern edge.

The event team at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts celebrates its new Michael Graves-designed wing in 2006 with a gala keying on a floral theme, created by New York-based David Stark Design. Here, cascades of flowers inspired by the museum's collection of 19th century textiles from the Arts and Crafts movement.

Flower gobos carry out the theme at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts gala.

Living flowers greet guests at the flower-themed gala at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

A modern flower treatment at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts gala.

Washington's Corcoran Gallery of Art stages a stunning fundraising dinner amid artwork at the 2007 Corcoran Ball. Photo by Pepe Gomez.

Caterer Occasions dashes between 13 dining areas in the Corcoran's galleries for the annual ball. Photo by Pepe Gomez.

An elegant table treatment at the Corcoran Ball. Photo by Pepe Gomez.

For a children's event at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago-based Karen Hansen Event Group brings in performers playing fire, water, air and earth to greet the kids.

Planner Branduin Creative turns San Francisco's new California Academy of Sciences into a lively party scene for the young, hip guests from software giant Adobe. Photo by Tim Griffith.

A contortionist entertains at California Academy of Sciences bash. Photo by Justin Korn Photography.

TBA Global helps the Art Institute of Chicago launch its Modern Wing in 2009 with a series of events. The event team lets the Renzo Piano architecture play center stage. Photo by Andrew Campbell.

At 10 p.m., the Modern Wing's gala opening gets rolling with the Young Modern Event, geared toward a more youthful demographic. Photo by Andrew Campbell.

At the Young Modern party, a lounge atmosphere takes over, with DJs, performance artists, hors d'oeuvre and cocktail bars in the gallery space. Photo by Andrew Campbell.

Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum turns up with volume for a wedding reception in 2008, staged with help from Something New Events of Canfield, Ohio. Here, an "Elvis" living statue. Photo by Nathan Migdal/Imagen Photos.