Last night, the Whitney Museum was awash with artists and collectors for its annual Gala and Studio Party. Presented by designer Pamella Roland and Microsoft, the event drew the who’s who of the art world. Guests danced to music spun by Nate Lowman and took turns snapping pictures inside an in-house photo booth. Tablets and computers loaded with Windows 8 software saw guests using the paint program to release their inner artist.
Attendees including Max Levai, Naomi Watts, Alexandra Chemla and Nigel Barker, floated between the party’s two levels refueling on hors d’oeuvres like apple cranberry tarts and miniature fish tacos. And the pumpkin spice whoopie pies were what partyers couldn’t seem to keep their hands off of.
Drinks were provided courtesy of Southern Wines and Spirits of New York. In keeping with the art-loving spirit of the night, the lemon blossom, classic martini, and aperol spritz specialty cocktails all featured Van Gogh classic vodka.
On the lower floor social media reigned supreme. The work of 100 artists asked to take and edit photos using Instagram was the center of everyone’s attention. The project was the brainchild of Grey Area. Proceeds from the sale of the art will go to the Whitney’s after-school program. “The event was originally focused on photography, so I wanted to do something that related to that” explained Whitney Studio Party co-chair and Grey Area co-founder, Kyle DeWoody. DeWoody was also interested in bringing the past and future together while exploring the relationship between artists and social media platforms. “I think it’s interesting to see how some artists are embracing Instagram while some are not.”
Photos: David X Prutting/BFA
