The Tamesis
There’s only one room in New York where you can eat a perfectly cooked filet mignon and watch Alan Cumming receive an honorary college degree. and See some of this generation’s most striking art up close—at the Tribeca Ball.
The first real breath of spring wafted through its legendary halls on Monday night as the New York Academy of Art, backed by Van Cleef & Arpels, held its annual gala. Beginning at 6 p.m., guests moved around the studio with Sprites and margaritas in hand, pausing to peruse the work of the academy’s one hundred MFA students, sit and listen to tarot readings, or pick up stacks of Lauren Burke Flowers’ curated bouquets.
The food on the table was like a work of art in itself – pies dotted with tiny peas, piles of greens, cucumber sandwiches and hollowed-out summer sorbet oranges. As night falls, stilt walkers from House of Yes guide the way downstairs. A group that included Cynthia Rowley, William Abadie, Will Cotton and Rose Dergan headed for a seated dinner, where hand-painted pastel murals framed the airy tablescape, transforming the lower level into a garden party-style setting.
Actor Chris Hanke paddled around with a lively oar, and plates of flower-garnished asparagus soup were quietly set down. “I have no problem asking for money — my parents still pay for my gym membership,” he joked, sparking laughter and helping push the night’s fundraising total past $900,000. The New York Academy of Art relies on this generosity to maintain rigorous training and expand access to emerging artists. Past winners of the Tribeca Ball include Amy Sherard, Robert De Niro and Eric Fisher, and Cumming is poised to follow in their footsteps. The Scottish star delivered a typically energetic speech, concluding with praise for Russell Wilkinson and his wife Eileen Guggenheim, who is stepping down as chairman of the board after two decades.
As dessert was served, popular ticket items (including escapes to the Cotswolds and the South of France) were auctioned off to bidders, while other guests returned upstairs – some for a nightcap, but many for a final glimpse of the artwork.
