The luster of spring is upon us, bringing with it a bevy of joyous gatherings across the globe—including recent celebrations like Planned Parenthood’s gala and benefit, the High Desert Test Sites fundraising dinner, and more.
Courtesy of Badass Art Woman Awards.
On March 8 in New York at the Angel Orensanz Foundation, the 2023 Badass Art Woman Awards presented its annual gala with Project for Empty Space in honor of Sarah Arison, President of the Arison Arts Foundation; Kelly Huang, Co-founder of the Gold Art Prize; and Legacy Russell, Executive Director & Chief Curator of The Kitchen. Guests enjoyed a delightful dinner and danced the night away to performances from Daniel de Jesús and Fogo Azul. Awards were bestowed by Deana Haggag, Program Officer in Arts and Culture at The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; Thelma Golden, Director and Chief Curator of The Studio Museum in Harlem; and Miyoung Lee, art collector and Whitney Museum trustee. Proceeds benefited Project for Empty Space’s powerful art initiatives, such as The Feminist Incubator Program, The Newark Artist Accelerator, and The Newark Artists Database.
Chuck Schummer, Letitia James; Courtesy of Planned Parenthood of Greater New York.
On March 13, Planned Parenthood of Greater New York hosted a dynamic gala benefit at Glass Houses titled “Spring Into Action.” With Padma Laksmi and Chrissy Teigen as special honorees, the elegant evening marked the organization’s first sizable fundraiser since the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, which has eliminated the constitutional right to an abortion. Esteemed guests such as Lily Allen, Sandra Bernhard, Tom Coliccio, Nell Diamond, David Harbour, Julia Fox, and Agnes Gund gathered for an energetic cocktail party, dinner, award show, and afterparty, raising a toast and vital funding for Planned Parenthood. Artist Betty Tompkins bestowed a limited edition print upon the memorable evening, which was available for sale at the gala and currently at www.HerClique.com; Marilyn Minter debuted a new app with Adlar AR to raise funds with new selfie filters, and the night culminated in raising $1.2M for the organization.
Coco Bassey, Mac Anabtawi, Cece Vu, Olivia Perez, and Josh Peskowitz; Photo by Drew Altizer, courtesy of Loro Piana.
On March 15 in California, Loro Piana opened the doors of its first boutique in Palo Alto, raising a toast to the launch of its traceability service. The brand’s CEO Damien Bertrand hosted special guests such as Derek Blasberg, Ken Fulk, Coco Capitán, Josh Peskowitz, and Nadir Shaikh—all of whom enjoyed an exclusive panel conversation with artist Charlotte Taylor, Daniela Ott of Aura Blockchain, and Giulio Bergamaschi, Strategic Missions Director of Loro Piana, moderated by Gstaad Guy. On the festive occasion, the timeless Italian brand displayed Gift of Kings® sculptures by artist Mary Lennox. The premier location offers exclusive Gift of Kings® garments that include NFTs designed by Charlotte Taylor, which grant guests unique traceability from farm to consumer of their beloved purchases.
Courtesy of High Desert Test Sites.
Also in California but on March 18 in Joshua Tree, the non-profit art initiative High Desert Test Sites (HDTS) held its first fundraising dinner, raising over $200,000 for the development of cutting-edge fellowships and educational programming. Presented by Andrea Zittel and the Board of Directors, the celebratory evening united figureheads in art, design, and entertainment such as Barbara Bestor, Trina Turk, Zhu Jia, Susan Davis, Susan Bay Nimoy, and Ramsey Naito. Guests were immersed in a sunset cocktail reception overlooking the dreamlike desert landscape, after which they enjoyed an exquisite dinner curated by LA-based Kai’s Catering + Events. As part of the momentous night, Rob Levine of Sotheby’s led a lively auction on behalf of artist Rob Pruitt’s grand creation, Christmas Week (2022).
Courtesy of Schiaparelli.
On March 21 in London, Schiaparelli debuted its British flagship boutique within the gilded walls of Harrods department store. A star-studded array of guests, including Joan Collins, Naomi Campbell, Emilia Clarke, Pixie Lott, Sabine Getty, and Juergen Teller, enjoyed a sneak peek at the stunning new store as well as a chic dinner at The Belgravia. The sleek black and white boutique was deftly designed by Creative Director Daniel Roseberry, who paid homage to the brand’s artistic heritage, invoking the hypnotic brilliance of collaborators like Salvador Dali, Jean Michel Frank, and Alberto Giacometti.
