Organizers of the Power Ball mixed raw, unexpected decor with six artist installations to create a party that demonstrated high and low culture.
The "Decadence" theme at last year’s tenth anniversary Power Ball translated into a white decor scheme and burlesque dancers. This time around, "Power Ball 11: It's One Louder" (named for a line in This Is Spinal Tap) went in a decidedly different direction: smashed cars, an outhouse/video booth, and guests helping themselves to a whole roasted pig. "We're juxtaposing low-fi, tripped-out decor with things like oysters and champagne," said Sarah Bywater, head of development at the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, the site of the festivities.
Although the budget was tighter this year, Bywater said corporate support for the ball remained strong. Hugo Boss returned as the party’s lead sponsor, and a record 32 in-kind suppliers filled the gallery with displays over three days of setup. Landscape Ontario, for example, provided deciduous trees and plants to furnish the indoor space, and Castor Design brought in a Winnebago and the pig-roasting materials to help make the gallery’s south patio more than just a smoking destination.
New York artist Agathe Snow created a room strung with inflatable guitars. Photo: Nikki Leigh McKean for BizBash
Landscape Ontario provided trees and plants to furnish the indoor space. Photo: Nikki Leigh McKean for BizBash
A Winnebago brought in by the design firm Castor was a popular party destination. Photo: Nikki Leigh McKean for BizBash
The Power Plant's Paul Zingrone created a car crash with two donated Oldsmobiles and projected Mad Max and Solaris on the walls. Photo: Nikki Leigh McKean for BizBash
Toronto artist Andrew Harwood revisited his Madame Zsa Zsa persona for Power Ball 11, providing psychic readings to guests. Photo: Nikki Leigh McKean for BizBash
At artist Dean Baldwin's installation, an eco-friendly bar set up on the south patio, servers offered drinks out of repurposed and recycled plastic bottles. Photo: Nikki Leigh McKean for BizBash
Guests helped themselves to a whole roast pig laid out on a table on the patio. Photo: Nikki Leigh McKean for BizBash
Clothes from lead sponsor Hugo Boss filled the main hallway in the gallery, which was also lined with trees. Photo: Nikki Leigh McKean for BizBash
Members of Toronto Roller Derby used the concrete-floored gallery as their own skate venue. Photo: Nikki Leigh McKean for BizBash
A stack of old televisions in the main party area displayed sponsor logos. Photo: Nikki Leigh McKean for BizBash
Llast year's event included a prominent print ad campaign, but this year promotion happened via social media sites and local blogs. "I feel like there's always an urge to spend more, but this year was about being creative with less," said Clint Roenisch, who co-chaired the event with Cleophee Eaton and Michael Cooper and conceptualized the ball's theme.
Some out-of-the-box ideas included Paul Zingrone's installation with two smashed '80s Oldsmobiles, Toronto Roller Derby girls whizzing around the venue, and an outdoor hot tub which guests jumped into as the evening went on. Six installations, including New York artist Agathe Snow’s “Air Guitar Maze,” added to the offbeat decor.
Because, as Bywater noted, "people really want to eat and drink at a party," organizers called on celebrity chef Mark McEwan to handle the food. (He also shot an episode of his Food Network show, The Heat, during the event.) Hors d’oeuvres included his signature Bymark burgers in miniature form, bite-sized grilled cheese sandwiches, and oysters from Oyster Boy. A host of liquor suppliers helped stock the party’s six open bars, which kept drink lines to a minimum.
Power Ball 11 drew more than 1,100 guests, including some 70 local artists whose tickets were subsidized by the gallery’s board. “We want to create a culture of commending artists,” said Bywater. “They really add a whole different vibe to the event.” DJs included Will Munro, Derek Mainella, and Ray Gillespie. Bands Coco Quartet, Parallels, and One Hundred Dollars performed live.
Event sponsors included Hugo Boss, Dundee Real Estate Asset Management, DundeeWealth Inc., Rogers, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, TD Securities, National Bank Financial, the Thor E. and Nicole Eaton Family Charitable Foundation, Hello! Canada, Now Magazine, The National Post, and 103.9 PROUD-FM.
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