PHOTOS: Inside El Museo Del Barrio’s 2026 Gala

Karla Martinez de Salas welcoming J Balvin to the dais. Peter Zwolinski/BFA.com

El Museo del Barrio’s annual benefit, held last week at the Mandarin Oriental New York, brought together artists, philanthropists, collectors and cultural and political leaders to celebrate Latin American and Latine art and culture while raising more than $1 million in support of El Museo’s exhibitions, educational initiatives, bilingual public programs and the stewardship of its permanent collection.

The evening’s honorees reflected the breadth of El Museo’s reach. Global music icon J Balvin was recognized for his visionary support of contemporary art and his commitment to advancing Latin American and Latine culture worldwide—”I’ve always believed in bringing our music, art, and voice to the world with pride and responsibility,” he told the assembled crowd. Art collectors Isabel and Agustín Coppel were honored alongside Balvin for the impact they’ve had on the contemporary art canon. And curator and collector Estrellita Brodsky, a formidable force in the Latin American art world whose decades of advocacy have shaped institutions around the world, received the inaugural Tony Bechara Legacy Award. The evening also saw the announcement of the 2026-2027 Maestro Dobel Latinx Art Prize recipient: artist Guadalupe Rosales, whose solo exhibition will open at the museum next year.

Estrellita Brodsky. Peter Zwolinski/BFA.com

“I do what I do out of love. Whether it is my art practice or my archival work, both have always been rooted in self and community preservation, storytelling, and the belief that our histories deserve to be seen, held, and remembered,” Rosales said in her acceptance speech. “This work comes from years of doubt and challenges, from people not always seeing its importance, while at the same time, others like me felt seen, remembered and reflected in it. I have not always fit neatly into art institutions as an artist, or into archives and official histories as someone committed to preserving and telling these stories. It has not been an easy path, but I kept going. Recognition is a meaningful gesture, and I am grateful for it, but what feels most important is knowing that by not giving up, this work has helped make space for future artists, archivists, storytellers and generations to come.”

Given their turns at the dais, El Museo del Barrio’s executive director Patrick Charpenel and board chair Karla Harwich each spoke about the institution’s singular importance. Charpenel pointed out that the museum has long served as “a platform for voices that have shaped—and continue to shape—the cultural fabric of this country,” while Harwich noted that in a city where more than 40 percent of public-school students identify as Hispanic or Latino, the institution offers young people “a place where they can see themselves, their histories, and their communities reflected with beauty and pride.”

As the night unfolded, guests sipped tequila cocktails and Leo Gruber & Tren Latino provided a musical performance that kept energy levels high. Spotted in the crowd were art historian Victoria Espinosa, kurimanzutto cofounder José Kuri, model and entrepreneur Alida Boer and CIMA Capital co-founder Alfonso Aldrete, who mingled with curators Rocío Aranda-Alvarado, Deborah Cullen Morales, Susanna V. Temkin, Ines Katzenstein and Magnolia de la Garza. The lineup of artists in attendance included Pedro Reyes, Elia Alba, Elena Damiani, Yvette Mayorga and Jorge Méndez Blake.

Notably, the museum’s 2026 benefit auction, presented in collaboration with The Auction Collective, remains open through June 3, 2026, so even if you missed this year’s gala, you can still raise a paddle in support of El Museo del Barrio’s mission.