Several Miami properties hosted arty events surrounding Art Basel Miami Beach. The Teepee Project, featuring two 22-foot hand-painted teepees by artists Jen Stark and Misaki Kawai, were on display at Mondrian South Beach from December 2 to 14. The hotel launched the project with a dinner party on the property.
The Official VH1 & Scope Party, now in its third year, was held at Mansion nightclub in Miami on December 5. Artist and calligrapher Aerosyn-Lex Mestrovic hand-painted hundreds of feet of Japanese synthetic paper, creating an art installation that event planners described as the longest continuous painting shown during this year's art fairs.
To honor its uptown home of 48 years, the historic Breuer building, the Whitney Museum of American Art threw a packing party of sorts for the 2014 gala on November 19. The cocktail and studio party decor included a bar and cocktail tables constructed from repurposed shipping crates—some were authentic crates from the museum, others were newly manufactured for the event.
The Paddy Wagon is a new Boston-area company that provides inflatable Irish pubs. The 30- by 30-foot blow-up bar has a façade resembling a traditional Irish pub with brick walls and a thatched roof; inside there are windows, tables, doors, and a full bar. The company can also provide Irish food, step dancers, and bartenders.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art will present the United States premiere of the Frank Gehry retrospective from September 13, 2015, to March 20, 2016. Organized by the Musée National d’Art Moderne in Paris, the show includes more than 60 of his projects, shown through more than 200 drawings, many of which will be on view for the first time, as well as 66 models that show the evolution of the Los Angeles-based architect’s process. The museum offers discounted general admission for groups of 10 or more, along with docent-led tours for large groups.
Now available in Toronto through the Idea Hunter, Original Beverage Toppers are edible disks that can be branded with corporate logos, colors, and taglines. The discs float on top of hot, cold, iced, or frozen drinks and are easy to apply.
DCanter Capitol Hill, a Washington wine boutique, launched a new e-commerce site that offers same-day delivery in the city for corporate office parties, impromptu happy hours, and other events. It also can host private classes in its tasting room or off site.
Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art debuted its new “Picasso—Creatures and Creativity” exhibit on July 3. The new Las Vegas show includes approximately 45 works from the artist. Organized in partnership with the Claude Picasso Archives, the show focuses on the human figure through lithographs, linocuts, paintings, and a selection of rare plates. The exhibition will run through January, and docent-led tours are available.
Orlando Culinary Tour is a new option for teambuilding and corporate outings. Led by Jamie McFadden, chef and owner of Cuisiniers Catered Cuisine & Events, the tour is intended to educate participants on the emerging food scene of Central Florida and teach wine pairing, gardening, cooking, and entertaining. Guests travel via motor coach to Quantum Leap Winery, East End Market, Txokos Basque Kitchen, and McFadden’s teaching lab. Each stop includes tasting opportunities and hands-on experiences. Tours can be customized based on group interests, and a guide travels with guests from start to finish.
New to Chicago, Bowery and Bash provides luxury rentals for events. Owner Katie Ernst, who also runs home interiors company Revision Home, rents out stylish, vintage-inspired pieces such as silver mirrored bars, cowhide rugs, Asian coffee tables, and club chairs from the original Playboy Club.
EatWith, a San Francisco-based global platform that provides alternative dining experiences with local residents and chefs, has a private-dining venue in the city. Called Test Kitchen, the space seats as many as 24 guests or holds 40 for receptions; the site can also host cooking classes.
For people who find their meeting spaces too cold, Kimpton’s South Florida hotels will lend out pashminas. The pashminas, offered in two colors, come with a style guide that shows how both men and women can wear them. The thoughtful amenity is available at Epic Miami; Surfcomber Miami, South Beach; Vero Beach Hotel & Spa; and Tideline Ocean Resort & Spa, Palm Beach.
Located in New York, artisanal dessert catering boutique Bake-tique 212 has been a favorite of event professionals since 2013, but the shop is now expanding to serve a wider clientele like at-home hosts. The bakery specializes in events such as charity affairs and birthday parties, with a menu of unique treats like ghuvikelz (a filled pastry), one-bite smidgens with marshmallow and chocolate, and mini pies that are the size and shape of a cookie.
DJ Mia Moretti spun from a custom DJ booth bicycle, a tribute to Amsterdam’s reputation as the bicycle capital of the world.
"Art in the Dark" featured the work of London-based "professional doodler" Hattie Stewart, who designed a physical experience for guests to dance through black lights and a silent disco with music curated by the global music and entertainment platform Tidal. The room encouraged visitors to let go of their inhibitions.
Givenchy, in celebrating its first-ever Manhattan flagship, staged a one-off show that was a powerful tribute to New York City on September 11. The riverside setting, on Pier 26 in TriBeCa, allowed for an unobstructed view of the Freedom Tower from every seat. Produced by Laprod, the event took more than six months to produce and the guest list numbered around 4,000.
The September 14 spectacle at Skylight Modern was only something Thom Browne could bring about: a gallery space featuring a one-room schoolhouse in which the designer showed his interpretation of a Japanese schoolgirl's uniform. There were rows of chairs, a black notebook placed at each one, and a "teacher" dressed as a fully veiled Kabuki bride. On the side of the schoolhouse were a pair of men's feet, a la The Wizard of Oz.
The Coach dinner featured a mirror wall that measured approximately 10 feet by 89 feet that ran along one side of the 3,230-square-foot venue. More than 2,000 candles in Mexican handblown glass votives dotted the tables, while 1,000 pieces of handmade ceramic were made for the event by an Argentine ceramist. Engraved leather placements featured the first name of each guest.
During the Pier 92 events, the online deals site turned things upside-down with two different photo booth vignettes, a topsy-turvy pizza parlor and a concert venue. The company was promoting its mission to help users discover new eats, events, and more.
