There is no mistaking the entrance to the Hispanic Society of America for anything less than majestic: Wrought-iron gates open to a massive courtyard surrounded by the building's towering Beaux-Arts architecture. It's the kind of thing that wows guests. The only hitch: It's really far away. (Like 155th Street and Broadway far away.)
But that didn't keep away the Dia Art Foundation, which held its fall gala at the society last night. "This is our first year in a three-year collaboration with the Hispanic Society; we have a show in the museum now, so it made sense to have our gala here," said Dia development associate Victoria Robinson. "The courtyard is so beautiful. It's big and it doesn't feel like New York."
Robinson offered these thoughts standing in an enormous 9,000-square-foot clear plastic tent erected in the society's courtyard, which served as the cocktail-hour space. A minimalist design from Jeff Leatham, artistic director from the Four Seasons Hotel George V Paris, allowed the courtyard's striking bronze statues and stone steps and (through the tent's transparent walls) the floodlit facade of the building to provide the bulk of the decor. Additional touches included small tea lights on tall boys draped in white linen and off-kilter arrangements of deep-red long-stemmed roses and calla lilies in clear cylindrical vases. The tent, which took a week to put up, had a very short life. "It's two hours tonight and then off it goes," Robinson said.
The foundation's 350 guests sampled hors d'oeuvres from Abigail Kirsch, including spiced shrimp, mini mahimahi tacos, and potato coins with caviar and peppercorn sauce, as well as specialty cocktails employing Herb's Aromatic cilantro and rosemary vodka.
Following cocktails, dinner was served across the street at the Church of the Intercession. (Dia provided escorts to ensure that people found their way, as well as buses to transport guests should they feel the need to be driven to the other side of Broadway.)
Inside the church, the unique setting once again provided much of the ambience, surrounding guests with stained glass, stone arches, and, of course, a high vaulted ceiling. White linens, lilies, and hundreds of flickering white candles topped tables, an arrangement augmented by a central row of tulip bulbs.
The northern locale of the gala didn't seem to deter guests. Dia facilitated transportation with buses from Advance Parking Concepts, and set up a table for LimoRes.net at the entrance to the church, where attendees could book return trips home.
