An art-inspired dining experience featuring artist Elena Kalman and a menu by James Beard–nominated Chef Jamie Malone and Paris Dining Club.

Join us for a one-night-only dining experience at The Museum of Russian Art, where the visual and culinary arts come together in an evening of conversation, music, and exceptional food.

Created in partnership with James Beard–nominated Chef Jamie Malone and Paris Dining Club, this intimate after-hours dinner is inspired by Catastrophe and What Survives, the exhibition by Ukrainian-born artist Elena Kalman. As guests dine, the exhibition provides a remarkable setting for the evening.

Begin the evening with a cocktail reception and passed hors d’oeuvres before taking your seat for a multi-course dinner with wine. Guests will enjoy the opportunity to hear from Elena Kalman as she shares stories behind her work, her artistic practice, and the ideas that continue to shape her work as a painter and architect.

Designed specifically for this evening, Chef Jamie Malone has created a seasonal menu inspired by Elena Kalman’s exhibition, drawing on the interplay between architecture and nature found throughout her work.

The Menu

First Course

Pâté de Campagne
greens salad, gem lettuce, fresh herbs, vinaigrette, shallots, pepitas

Sourdough Baguette
beurre de baratte & fleur de sel

Main Course

Branzino en Croûte d’Argile
braised fennel, fennel haché, dry vermouth, parsley & browned butter

Dessert

Late Summer Plum Frangipane Tart
almond cream, roasted Italian plums & vanilla bean crème fraîche

$275 per person includes a cocktail reception with passed hors d’oeuvres, multi-course dinner with wine, music, conversation with artist Elena Kalman, and private after-hours access to the museum. This purchase supports The Museum of Russian Art.

Advance reservations are required. Dietary needs and seating requests can be accommodated with advance notice.

Attire: Cocktail attire. Feel free to take inspiration from the artwork!

Image credit (above):
Elena Kalman
Waters (Eternity series), 2025
Triptych
Acrylic and mixed media on canvas
12 × 6 ft.

This evening is generously supported by Kathy and Pat Bracken, Mary Lynn and Warren Staley, Charles Allen and Lisa Schlesinger, Bruce Goodman, Rada Varshavskaya and Jonathan Rosenberg, and David and Meg Washburn.

Elena Kalman is a Ukrainian-born artist, architect, and creator of public art whose work has been exhibited in museums and galleries throughout the United States and internationally. Working across painting, sculpture, installation, and architecture, her practice explores the intersections of history, memory, the built environment, and the natural world.

Her major bodies of work have examined subjects ranging from the Russian Revolution (Shattered Dreams) and environmental change (Anthropocene and Unnatural Reliefs) to pollution (Plastic Paradise) and the inner world of artists (Accidental Paintings and November Roads). She has also completed numerous public art commissions, including sculptures, ceramic reliefs, and integrated architectural works.

Kalman’s 2023 exhibition Ukraine Defiant at The Museum of Russian Art honored the resilience of the Ukrainian people in the face of Russia’s invasion. She returns to TMORA with Catastrophe and What Survives, featuring her recent series Where Are We Going? and Eternity, which explore themes of disruption, endurance, architecture, and nature.

Kalman received her Master of Architecture degree from the Moscow Architecture Institute and her Fine Art degree from the Kyiv Art Institute. She immigrated to the United States in 1979 and founded her Connecticut-based architectural firm in 1988, where she continues to integrate art and architecture through commissioned projects.

Paris Dining Club (PDC) is a dining club in Minneapolis by James Beard nominated Chef Jamie Malone. You can find Malone at her North Loop Paris Dining Club Studio hosting events and creating new experiences for people who love food. PDC also makes dinner parties and date nights at home easy and beautiful.

Malone has gained national attention and earned a place as a semifinalist for the James Beard Award for “Rising Star Chef” for 2013 and “Best Chef Midwest” for 2014, 2015, 2018, and 2019. In 2013, Malone was named one of Food and Wine magazine’s “Best New Chefs.” In 2017, Malone opened her first restaurant, Grand Café, and the following year, it was a semifinalist for the James Beard Award for “Best New Restaurant” and was also named Food and Wine magazine’s “Best New Restaurant.” That year, Malone was also awarded Food and Wine magazine’s “Dish of the Year.” Malone has written for Esquire’s “Eat Like a Man” blog and been featured in many magazines including GQ, Saveur, and Elle. In 2014 she won Cooking Light’s “Trail Blazer Award” for her work with sustainable seafood.