| EVENT REPORT 03.30.09 8:51 AM |
PRINT | SEND TO A FRIEND |
|
| Two-Party System |
| The Annenberg Space for Photography opened in Century City with two parties intended to target every corner of the Los Angeles arts and philanthropy communities. |
|
Locals know that Los Angeles is a rich cultural center. But they're also gratified every time that fact is validated in an unmissable form. And last week marked one such validation: the debut of the Annenberg Space for Photography in Century City, the Annenberg Foundation's substantial new photography gallery in the gleaming glass shrine of the 2000 Avenue of the Stars building. And to celebrate the debut with appropriate fanfare, two back-to-back parties took to the space—the official grand opening on Wednesday night, and a party cohosted by W magazine and Dior on Thursday.
"The combination of [parties] was to target as broad a potential audience for the space as possible," said Annenberg Foundation communications officer Liza deVilla, who oversaw the event with a team from the foundation. "Because we're trying to create a space that is free to the public but that stands for a certain level of artistry, we wanted to make sure that we targeted the cultural elite but also nonprofits, working creative artists in the city, and many members of the entertainment industry. We tried to create something that was really for a wide swath of the L.A. community." |
|
CONTINUED > |
|
|
PHOTO GALLERY |
 | A scrim hanging overhead showed a kinetic display of still images under the tent at the Annenberg Space for Photography's opening night party.
Photo: Line 8 Photography |
|
|
 | Flat-screen TVs dotted the perimeter of the tent for the grand opening.
Photo: Line 8 Photography |
|
|
 | A starburst pattern decorated black linens under the tent at the grand opening.
Photo: Line 8 Photography |
|
|
|
|
 | A pianist entertained guests from the stage at the grand opening.
Photo: Line 8 Photography |
|
|
 | The opening party with W and Dior was much smaller; guests spent time inside the gallery spaces, rather than in the adjoining tent.
Photo by Donato Sardella/WireImage |
|
|
 | Wallis Annenberg spoke to guests at the W and Dior party.
Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images |
|
|
|
|
|
|
About 1,400 guests RSVPed for Wednesday night's large-scale grand-opening party, produced by J. Ben Bourgeois Productions, in the gallery and a large adjacent tent. White banquettes lined the perimeter of the dramatic black tent, where a dark scrim overhead showed a kinetic display of still images that served as a surprising reveal.
"We wanted to create a feel that was appropriate for a new photography space, so we went with the black-and-white theme as our palette," said Bourgeois Productions senior project manager Paul Marks. "The idea [behind the projections] was to complement the photography [in the gallery] and to bring color into the tent. The whole concept was... that everyone there experienced what a photographer would experience when looking through the lens."
Shortly after 8:30 p.m., Wallis Annenberg gave brief remarks (including some she would repeat verbatim the following night). Guests stayed for hors d'oeuvres, desserts, and cocktails served with linen—not paper—napkins at the bar for a luxe, pre-recession-feeling touch.
Thursday night's party with W magazine and Dior, also produced by Ben Bourgeois, beckoned only 400 guests for a more intimate party that took over the gallery's spaces and barely spilled into a smaller tent. "For the grand opening, we had people who were friends and family and associates of the Annenberg Foundation, philanthropists, city officials who helped make the space, members of the supportive arts community," said Jennifer Gross, whose Evolutionary Media Group handled PR for both events. "On Thursday, it was more fashion, celebrity. Tastemakers who might not normally get over to Century City."
On the response to the parties and the space, deVilla added, "People are so excited—thrilled and grateful to have a space dedicated to photography. I can't tell you how many people have individually and collectively said how badly this space was needed."
—Alesandra Dubin
RELATED TOPICS
Annenberg Foundation, Annenberg Space for Photography, W Magazine, Dior
MORE EVENT REPORT STORIES
Us Weekly Takes to Voyeur With Scantily Clad Models, Burlesque Feel
MoMA Gets Suitably Whimsical and Macabre for Tim Burton Tribute
New Moon Premiere Beckons 10,000 People and 2 Live Wolves
Chrysalis Benefit Cuts Ticket Prices in Half, Draws Same Crowd
Wende Museum Closes Wilshire for Cold War Anniversary Celebration
MORE STORIES ABOUT ANNENBERG FOUNDATION
Inaugural Annenberg Exhibit Explores Multifaceted Views of Los Angeles
MORE STORIES ABOUT ANNENBERG SPACE FOR PHOTOGRAPHY
6 Inspiring, Steal-Able Ideas From Art Events
MORE STORIES ABOUT DIOR
Oscar Week: Vanity Fair's Back, Mercedes Moves to Montage, Governors Ball Tones Down, Suites Abound
New York-Based Production Studio's West Coast Counterpart
| More Suppliers/Venues to Consider |
ADVERTISEMENT |
|
|
|
La Quinta Resort & Club
An iconic destination since 1926, La Quinta is 30 minutes from Palm Springs International Airport and a two-hour drive from L.A., Orange County, and San Diego, with lush grounds, citrus groves, water fountains and walking trails; 41 pools and 53 hot spas; 7 restaurants; 5 championship golf courses; 23 tennis courts; Spa La Quinta; and 796 casitas, villas, and suites—some with private yards, pools, spas, fireplaces, and kitchenettes. La Quinta accommodates groups in a host of indoor and outdoor venues. More >>
EMAIL THIS RESOURCE |
|
First Protocol
We are a full-service event planning and production company located in New York City specializing in corporate functions, business meetings, conferences, and corporate galas. Our specialists have more than 10 years' experience planning events that range from small meetings to large-scale productions for 10,000+ people. More >>
EMAIL THIS RESOURCE |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
