The Parrish's Midsummer Party attracted a crowd to its popular annual benefit which brings together artists, philanthropists, business leaders, and movers and shakers in the art world. Held on July 9, 2016, the benefit is the art museum's primary fundraiser and raised over $1 million, matching last year's efforts. The event was hosted by Parrish Art Museum Director, Terrie Sultan. The event co-chairs were Emily Mortimer and Alessandro Nivola.
This year's gala honored Barbara J. Slifka, a former Harper's Bazaar editor, philanthropist, art collector and Parrish trustee, for her work and enthusiasm benefiting the environment, social causes and the visual and performing arts. During the dinner, Slifka was introduced by Robert Wilson, who created a subsequent media stir with his unusual minimalism poetry delivery and canine impression, prefacing Slifka's accepting the microphone and the honor.
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Remarks by Barbara Slifka. Photo: Joe Schildhorn for BFA.com. Courtesy of the Parrish Art Museum.
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But before the evening ebbed into dinner and dancing at the After Ten Party, hosted by the Parrish Contemporaries, there was the cocktail hour where guests mingled with the art and each other having full reign of the art museum. Subtle drama was present at the Cocktail Hour, even before Wilson's soon-to-be talked about introduction was still a twinkle in Wilson's creative imagination.
Choreographer and artist Jonah Bokaer smiled and mingled with the crowd and was happy to discuss his newly-unveiled installation at the Parrish for his "Platform" feature. Bokaer's site-inspired art installations include a 21-page mixed media work, video and a live performance piece choreographed in relation to the Parrish's front grounds. Bokaer's upcoming NY premier of Rules of the Game, created with artist Daniel Arsham and musician Pharrell Williams, was part of the gala's live auction and featured private rehearsal access and opening night tickets to the performance presented at BAM Next Wave Festival this fall.
The theme for the Midsummer Benefit was inspired by the exhibition "Radical Seafaring" with Ron Wendt Design spinning design magic through a nautical theme featuring woven basket lanterns, canvas sails and cord rope rigging, tabletop accents using sun bleached raw cut canvas cloths along with driftwood and hand-blown glass vases hosting tall water side reeds. Exhibition curator Andrea Grover got into the spirit with a radical nautical dress by Russian designer Alena Akhmadullina reminiscent of the famous Japanese woodblock print The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Hokusai, adding some wave power to the cocktail hour.
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Jonah Bokaer and Andrea Grover. Photo: Joe Schildhorn for BFA.com. Courtesy of the Parrish Art Museum.
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Philanthropist and author Jean Shafiroff contributed some couture drama in her yellow Carolina Herrera dress of foam rubber. Shafiroff recently held a book signing for her new book, Successful Philanthropy: How to Make a Life By What You Give, at the Southampton Historical Society. Click here to see photos of the event.
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Jean Shaffirof. Photo: Joe Schildhorn for BFA.com. Courtesy of the Parrish Art Museum.
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Creative drama aside, the center stage of the Parrish's Midsummer Party was held by the staunch supporters who turned out to support the Hamptons art museum and celebrate the Parrish's contributions to the East End community at large. The benefit attracted a strong show of artists, art collectors, curators, business leaders and philanthropists who enjoyed the evening and the museum while socializing during one of the highlights of the Hamptons benefit season.
Artists attending the Parrish's benefit included Alice Aycock, Eric Fischl, April Gornik, Connie Fox, Mary Heilmann, Bryan Hunt, Steven Ladd, Donald Lipski, Malcolm Morley, Dorothea Rockburne, Clifford Ross, Keith Sonnier, Billy Sullivan, Donald Sultan, John Torreano, Michael Combs, Christopher French, Bastienne Schmidt, Dan Rizzie and Hal Buckner.
Notable guest attending included Veronica Atkins, Deborah Bancroft, Ann and Keith Barish, Patricia Birch Becker, Geoffrey Bradfield, Bonnie Comley and Stewart Lane, Estrellita and Daniel Brodsky, Susan de Franҫa, Gale and Ira Drukier, Somers and Jonathan Farkas, Jack Lenor Larsen, Ashley Leeds and Christopher Harland, Dorothy Lichtenstein, Howard Lorber, Christina and Alan MacDonald, Stephen Meringoff and Kim Charlton, Sandy and Steve Perlbinder, Michèle and Steve Pesner and others.
Continue scrolling to see some of the guests and the scene unfolding at the Parrish's 2016 Midsummer Party.
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Emily Mortimer, Alessandro Nivola, Chad Leat, Terrie Sultan and H. Peter Haveles. Photo: Joe Schildhorn for BFA.com. Courtesy of the Parrish Art Museum.
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Jamee Gregory and Peter Gregory. Photo: Joe Schildhorn for BFA.com. Courtesy of the Parrish Art Museum.
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Keith Sonnier. Photo: Joe Schildhorn for BFA.com. Courtesy of the Parrish Art Museum.
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Mary Heilmann. Photo: Joe Schildhorn for BFA.com. Courtesy of the Parrish Art Museum.
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Daniel Brodsky and Estrellita Brodsky. Photo: Joe Schildhorn for BFA.com. Courtesy of the Parrish Art Museum.
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Terrie Sultan and Eric Fischl. Photo: Joe Schildhorn for BFA.com. Courtesy of the Parrish Art Museum.
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Hale Becker and Dorothy Lichtenstein. Photo: Joe Schildhorn for BFA.com. Courtesy of the Parrish Art Museum.
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Midsummer Party at the Parrish Art Museum. Photo: Joe Schildhorn for BFA.com. Courtesy of the Parrish Art Museum.
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Remarks by Alessandro Nivola and Emily Mortimer. Photo: Joe Schildhorn for BFA.com. Courtesy of the Parrish Art Museum.
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Midsummer Party at the Parrish Art Museum. Photo: Joe Schildhorn for BFA.com. Courtesy of the Parrish Art Museum.
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