It was an elegant affair: guests dressed in white moved about the grounds of LongHouse Reserve during its annual gala, Boom! The Cosmic LongHouse Benefit, on Saturday, July 22, 2017. The gala netted approximately $500,000 for its public programs and helped celebrate founder's Jack Lenor Larsen 90th birthday year, according to LongHouse.

The benefit honored Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation Curator Alexandra Munroe and Chinese contemporary artist Cai Guo-Qiang, whose planned performance "Fountain of Color," described as a "daytime explosion event," was cancelled due to unfavorable weather conditions on orders by the fire marshal. Despite the absence of the anticipated performance, the cocktail hour held both charm and cultural fanfare. Upon arrival, guests were greeted with trays of colorful drinks and music by multi-instrumentalist Gian Carlo Feleppa on sitar. 

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Gian Carlo Feleppa. Photo: Patrick McMullan. Courtesy of LongHouse Reserve.

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Later on, guests were treated to a musical performance by Mohsen Namjoo, an Iranian artist, songwriter, singer and setar player (a traditional Persian lute). A returning favorite, the synchronized swimmers The Brooklyn Peaches were a crowd pleaser when the four women took to the water and transformed a normally peaceful reflective pool into a stage. The surface of the water was cloaked with white--courtesy of a blanket of ping pong balls--and formed an interesting dramatic curtain as the women appeared and disappeared beneath its surface during their performance.

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The Brooklyn Peaches. Photo: Pat Rogers.

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LongHouse Reserve's benefit attracted artists, architects, designers, politicians and supporters of the non-profit organization. Attendees included Alexandra Munroe, Cai Guo-Qiang, Dianne B, Toni Ross, Alice Aycock, Bryan Hunt, Robert Wilson, April Gornik, Lee Skolnick, Fred Thiele, Paul Goldberger, Bridget Fleming, Nicole Miller, Florence Fabricant, Faith Popcorn, Jack Youngerman, Susan Solomon, Sylvia Hemingway, and members of the Grucci Family, among others. After dinner, music by Royal Khaoz Band enlivened the crowd.  

LongHouse Reserve Creative Scholarship winners were also in attendance. Those local students—Karen Blandon (East Hampton High School), Sarah McErlean (Pierson High School), Jane Oglesby (Longwood High School), Brendan Powell (Pierson High School) and Tucker Marder (Carnegie Mellon University)—were recognized during the Global Dinner.

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Scholarship Winners Janie Oglesby, Tucker Marder, Karen Blandon, Brendan Powell, Sarah McCerlean. Photo: Patrick McMullan. Courtesy of LongHouse Reserve.

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Continue scrolling to see some of the scenes from LongHouse Reserve's 2017 benefit and some of the people who attended.

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Hong Hong Wu and Cai Guo Qiang. Photo: Patrick McMullan. Courtesy of LongHouse Reserve.

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Alice Aycock, Lee Skolnick, April Gornik. Photo: Patrick McMullan. Courtesy of LongHouse Reserve.

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Lucy Winton, Bryan Hunt, Alexandra Munroe, Robert Rosenkranz. Photo: Patrick McMullan. Courtesy of LongHouse Reserve.

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Jack Lenor Larsen, Sherri Donghia, Lee Skolnick, Peter Olsen. Photo: Patrick McMullan. Courtesy of LongHouse Reserve.

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Florence Fabricant, Lys Marigold, Ruth Appelhof, Dianne B. Photo: Patrick McMullan. Courtesy of LongHouse Reserve.

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The Brooklyn Peaches. Photo: Patrick McMullan. Courtesy of LongHouse Reserve.

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Samantha Naranjo, Christopher Grucci, Debra Grucci, Phil Grucci, Lauren Grucci, Robert Woods, Michelle Ferraoni, Rob Ferraoni. Photo: Patrick McMullan. Courtesy of LongHouse Reserve.

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Olena Stetsen, Kate Green. Photo: Patrick McMullan. Courtesy of LongHouse Reserve.

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Barbara Slifka, Robert Wilson. Photo: Patrick McMullan. Courtesy of LongHouse Reserve.

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James Solomon, Hala Solomon, Lindsay Karol, Fitzhugh Karol. Photo: Patrick McMullan. Courtesy of LongHouse Reserve.

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Fern Mallis, Nicole Miller, Mickey Ateyeh. Photo: Patrick McMullan. Courtesy of LongHouse Reserve.

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April Gornik, Paul Goldberger, Susan Solomon. Photo: Patrick McMullan. Courtesy of LongHouse Reserve.

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Royal Khaoz. Photo: Patrick McMullan. Courtesy of LongHouse Reserve.

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Mary Riley, Sara Angle, Will Reeve, Autumn Costner, Caitlin McKenna. Photo: Patrick McMullan. Courtesy of LongHouse Reserve.

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BASIC FACTS: LongHouse Reserve is located at 133 Hands Creek Rd, East Hampton, NY 11937. www.longhouse.org. To read about the new sculpture installed for the 2017 season, click here.

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Copyright 2017 Hamptons Art Hub LLC. All rights reserved.

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