The Parrish Art Museum’s annual Midsummer Party drew a crowd of artists, art collectors, curators, philanthropists, and business leaders from the Hamptons, New York City, and beyond to celebrate and support the art museum. Attendees of the benefit, held July 15, 2017, also received the first official look at view at "Platform: Clifford Ross: Light | Waves," a site-specific installation project where an invited artist reacts to the architecture of the building. This year's gala honored Agnes Gund, an American philanthropist, art patron, collector, and arts education advocate Agnes Gund, introduced by Dorothy Lichtenstein; and artist Clifford Ross, who was introduced by director/librettist James Lapine.
The big news at the gala was the announcement Gund gifted $500,000 to the Parrish to establish a new social justice fund titled the Dorothy Lichtenstein ArtsReach Fund. Dorothy Lichtentstein, a Life Trustee of the Parrish, contributed an additional $100,000 to the Fund, it was announced at the Midsummer Party. Click here for details.
The Midsummer Party was especially well-attended—one of the largest in the new Herzog & de Meuron building—and raised over $1.25 million for the Parrish, according to the museum. The evening began with cocktails, served from inside the museum where guests milled about the "John Graham: Maverick Modernist" exhibition presenting work by the Ukraine-born American artist. Afterwards, guests moved to the terrace and tent for drinks, dinner and a live auction moderated by Sotheby's Chairman Benjamin Doller and Jeremiah Evarts, SVP and Head of Impressionist and Modern Art. Afterwards, Coleman Music took the stage and guests danced until the gala's close.
Connecting with Ross's new installation exhibition, the dinner decor by Ovando channeled the fluidity of the ocean. The space was transformed through hues of blue and aqua, accomplished through lighting and lines that shimmered. Table centerpieces contributed to the ambiance and conjured sea-foam with white dendrobiums set in blue water.
One of the largest galas to date in Water Mill, attendees included Jeff Koons, Cindy Sherman, Ross Bleckner, Eric Fischl, Caroline Hirsch, Jane Wenner, Jean Shafiroff, Polina Proshkina, Karolina Kurkova, Malcolm Morley, Mel Kendrick, Alice Aycock and others.
Continue scrolling to see some of the people who turned out for the Parrish's Midsummer Party and made the evening a special one.
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BASIC FACTS: The Parrish Art Museum is located at 279 Montauk Hwy, Water Mill, NY 11976. www.parrishart.org.
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