In a first time collaboration, Ruben Toledo, together with children from El Museo’s Classroom Connections program, created a whimsical gallery of 68 portraits, including some of the most famous faces in Latin American history and culture, as well as leading Latino New Yorkers.   The pictures were created to decorate El Museo Gala ’09. Each portrait, priced at $500 sold that evening will directly benefit both El Museo’s Classroom Connections program and Amber Charter School in East Harlem Charter School. 

In a process that Ruben likens to a game of musical chairs, these portraits were first sketched by Ruben, and then the students each contributed a single feature before moving to the next portrait.   These one-of-a-kind masterpieces will be offered for sale via silent auction to benefit El Museo. 

“Ruben’s wonderful project truly reflects the heart of El Museo’s mission—connecting art with education and community,” said El Museo’s director, Julián Zugazagoitia. “We are thrilled to be able to join Ruben’s tremendous talent with the fresh eyes of children, to depict some of our most cherished Latino icons.”

The Latino icons represented in the collection include designers Maria Cornejo, Francisco Costa, Carolina Herrera, Narciso Rodriguez, Angel Sanchez, and Isabel Toledo, artists Salvador Dali, Frieda Kahlo, Jose Clemente Orozco, Diego Rivera, and  celebrites Christina Aguilera, Penelope Cruz, Placido Domingo, Salma Haeykm John Leguizamo, Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin, and more.

Limited edition cigars, with an exquisite lacquered box and band designed by Ruben Toledo,were created for El Museo in conjunction with La Flor Dominicana, the Dominican Republic's leading maker of fine cigars. Packaged in a luxurious white box with black silhouetted designs inside and out, each cigar features a gold-embossed band, all designed by Toledo.  The cigar boxes  were sold for $600 with net proceeds  going to El Museo.  Each came with a numbered certificate signed by Ruben Toledo.  The edition was limited to 2,000.

The gala’s stellar honorary committee included: Jonathan Adler, Jose Solis Betancourt, Tory Burch, Iris Cantor, Edmundo Castillo, Maria Cornejo, Francisco Costa, Christian Cota, Simon Doonan, Patricia Field, Alex Gonzalez, Carolina and Reinaldo Herrera, Reed Krakoff, Isaac Mizrahi, Candy Pratts Price, Brian Reyes, Narciso Rodríguez, Ralph Rucci, Zang Toi, Richard Turley, Diane von Furstenberg, and Jason Wu.

The Gala Vice Chairs were: Joseph and Carmen Ana Unanue, Ramiro J. Ortiz, and Sarah Wolfe.  Coromoto Atencio, Mayra Hernandez, Michel Heredia, Lusiana Mendoza, Jana Pasquel de Shapiro, Leticia Presutti, Gabriel Rivera, Samantha Thompson, and Whitney Wolfe are Junior Chairs.

El Museo’s Gala has become one of the most glamorous evenings on the New York social calendar, with guests each year flying in from South America, the Caribbean, and Europe. This elegant evening begins with mariachis during the cocktail hour.  The Bob Hardwick Orchestra, playing a specially-selected program of Latin music, provides dancing during and after dinner.  This is traditionally one of the most joyous evenings in New York with guests lingering late into the night. It’s a grand occasion that raises significant funding for the museum’s education and community outreach programs.  It has also come to symbolize the pride Latin Americans and Latinos in New York take in their museum.