Something New and Something Borrowed: The New Museum Gala Aimed Big

12 April 2012
by Art Rubynstein

New Museum changed up venues for its 35th Anniversary Gala, moving on up to the Cipriani Wall Street address this year. The event’s best ever crowd came out for the bellinis, special performance by spectacularly named The Pimps of Joytime from Brooklyn, and face time with more A-list artists than we could count. 560 patrons occupied tables on Wall Street and $1.6 million was raised. Here are the highlights:

Hosts: Lisa Phillips, Toby Devan Lewis, and Saul Dennison

Big artist alert: honoree Paul McCarthy, George Condo, Elizabeth Peyton, Roni Horn, Marilyn Minter, Dasha Shiskin, Chuck Close, Jeff Koons, Aaron Young, Tom Sachs, Rob Pruitt, Lisa Yuskavage and Matvey Levenstein, Lorna Simpson, Hanna Liden, Dustin Yellin, Cecily Brown, Wangechi Mutu, Tony Oursler, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Will Cotton, Sue Williams, and many more.

SAG members in attendance: Honorary co-chair Chloe Sevigny and Leelee Sobieski

CFDA members in attendance: Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, Adam Kimmel, and jean loving Francisco Costa.

Most popular designer of the night: Costa’s work for Calvin Klein. Nora Zehetner, Amanda Brooks, Anh Duong, Yvonne Force Villareal, Minter, Olympia Scarry, and Piper Marshall all wore his designs to the dinner.

Most fascinating accessory: Massimiliano Gioni’s Mickey Mouse like gloves.

Runner-up: Sue Hostetler’s Barbara Kruger blessed column.

Best possible parting gift: Carsten Höller’s mini-version of Giant Triple Mushroom sculpture made especially for the gala. $5K was the minimum bid for the piece.

Best auction item: A George Condo portrait commission, a first of its kind for the artist.

Breaking the Whitney Ground

22 May 2011
by Art Rubynstein

The Washington Street Whitney is still good five to six years away from the game-changing reality, but on Thursday we got a preview of things to come. Two giant tents were erected on the museum’s future site to celebrate the Groundbreaking week of the institution as well as to hand out the 2011 American Art Award to Marissa Mayer. Here’re the details:

The army of artists: Roni Horn, Cory Arcangel, Richard Phillips, Laurie Simmons, Lorna Simpson, Christo, Irit Batsry, Shirin Neshat, Claes Oldenburg, Thomas Otterness, Andrew Lord, and Richard Tuttle, among many others.

Big shot supporters: LVMH’s Renaud Dutreil, Susan Hess, Cinidi Lieve, Anne H. Bass, André Balazs, Jacqueline and Vito Schanbel, and Brooke Garber Neidich.

Most popular guest: John McEnroe, who’s still being teased about his match winning record that’s being challenged by Novak Djokovic right now at French Open.

Best dressed: Josephine Meckseper who’s heading to Venice next.

Sure sign that this American gala: Meat loaf and mac’n’cheese was your main course.

Best surprise: Debbie Harry and the Blondie taking the stage (and complaining about the dump they were performing in).

Welcome unofficial after-party cameos: Chelsea Handler, Olivier Zahm, Ann Dexter Jones, who were all spotted at Boom Boom after with some high-dealing Whitney socials.

Photos – CLINT SPAULDING/PatrickMcMullan.com