Pearls Shine for New Museum Gala

Using the traditional 30th-anniversary gemstone as inspiration, the New Museum’s gala had pearly white and black spheres and a canopy of shimmering fabric.

April 25, 2007

For a striking statement, the team behind the New Museum of Contemporary Art’s 30th-anniversary gala devised a pearl motif for the decor inside Cipriani 42nd Street. Using the colors and the shape of the gemstone, Angela Nevarez, the museum’s special events director, worked with design firm JesGordon/ProperFun to change the appearance of the oft-used venue with a dramatic ceiling installation made up of 1,000 yards of fabric and 1,200 painted Styrofoam spheres. Elsewhere, the design was minimal, with tabletop items such as votives and low arrangements of succulents provided by Calvin Klein Home.

The April 22 event honoring artists Jeff Koons and Richard Prince drew 700 guests and raised more than $2 million. The evening also included a live auction conducted by Simon de Pury of Phillips de Pury & Company and a musical performance from Nicole Atkins & the Sea.

—Anna Sekula

Posted 04.25.07

Photos: BizBash

The main decor feature was an nstallation—long strips of satin and organza fabric interwoven into a lattice—that covered the ceiling of the former bank with a loose canopy.

Suspended from the canopy, strands of Styrofoam spheres in different sizes hung over the dinner area.

Calvin Klein Home provided the tabletop decor, which included short arrangements of succulents, plain linens, and low votives. The pearl motif continued in the evening’s program, which featured circular shapes throughout.