ARTOPIA, presented by Audi Fort Lauderdale as the second annual Gay and Lesbian Business Exchange (GLBX) fundraiser, will showcase a potpourri of visual, performing, fashion and culinary arts at NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale on Friday, November 20 at 7 p.m. The cultural 
event will feature a display of more than 20 fine artists, a delicious assortment of food, wine and spirits from the area’s most popular restaurants and live entertainment.
“For this second edition of ARTOPIA, we intend to immerse our guests in a visual extravaganza of performances, fashion, music, displays and sculptures,” said Michael Faeber and Geph Scarr, event founders and GLBX members. “We remain committed to building bridges between straight and gay owned businesses along with small and large corporations to make this the best place to live and work.”
The evening will begin with an exclusive VIP reception at 6 p.m. that includes a meet and greet with select artists, such as Leonardo Montoya, Michael Williams, Elaine Harvey, Scot DiStefano and Maurizio Battifora, along with hand served specialty drinks and hors d’oeuvres. Event doors will open for general admission at 7 p.m., when the museum will come to life with a sensory buffet.
Attendees will enjoy dozens of edible delights and libations from local favorites including Blue 
Martini of Fort Lauderdale, Hardy’s Park Bistro and Shooters on the Waterfront. The festival’s main stage will host a diverse collection of live performances, notably a performance art style fashion spectacle that will have heads turning. The night caps with starlit dancing to beats of a special guest DJ on an outdoor terrace at 10 p.m.
Guests will also have the opportunity to experience the limited engagement exhibits of the NSU Museum, including Revolution of the Eye: Modern Art and the Birth of American Television, which will feature fine art and graphic design, including works by Saul Bass, Alexander Calder, Marcel Duchamp, Allan Kaprow, Roy Lichtenstein, Man Ray, Eero Saarinen, Ben Shahn, and Andy Warhol, as well as ephemera, television memorabilia, and clips from film and television, including Batman, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Ernie Kovacs Show, Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In, and The Twilight Zone.
Monies raised will support the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce with a portion of the proceeds earmarked for an art scholarship in conjunction with the AutoNation Academy of Art + Design at NSU Art Museum.
General admission tickets for $75 food include access to open bars throughout the night. VIP admission for $100 additionally includes a pre-event artist reception, gift bag and complimentary valet parking.
Tickets and additional information are available online at www.GLBX.org. To learn how you or your business can get involved, please contact Michael Faerber at Michael@michaelfaerber.com.
